(I/C)
“Yeah, so I will stay out here in thees hall and no go into that room,” Abraxas offered looking around. Pointing at the cloak rack, he said, “Señors Lasik - that looks like a fine ambush spot if trouble comes near. Can you and Señor Wynderby check for any secrets this room may hold, then we can move on? If this was a weapons room, maybe there is a hidden stash, no? Seestar Cleric, is there a prayer or ritual we can aid you with to help these poor souls? After, we should make haste to the next area.”
Lannis threw his hands up, mouth opening and closing in shock. "You people can't seriously be thinking of digging around in months old, goblin piss soaked dead bodies can you? What are you expecting to find besides some exciting diseases perhaps? Can we go now, or will we have to root around in every single pile of feces and offal that we find?"
“Please,” Lyra whispered, looking closer at the bodies as Brendon walked the chamber with care. “Please.”
“Dere won’t be anytin of value ‘ere,” Wyn replied absently, brows beetled as he looked over the defiled elves. “De gobs will ‘ave made sure ov dat. Deze souls ‘ave all left dis place en are onto da next Great Roll Up...” his voice trailed off and the elf bowed his head whispering, “May ye rolls be all sixes.”
After a few minutes Brendon came out shaking his pant legs and Lannis backed away scowling, soap in his hand and using it to ward off the Scout. Lyra followed wiping her hands clean on the bottom of her cloak (<Wis +2 cleric, White 6). “Well, they all weren’t killed at the same time, looks like over the last 3 weeks to maybe 4 months. Probably poor bastards who happened to come by here and get picked up by a Jector patrol.”
She shuddered. “They were killed and it looks like the hands and feet being hacked off happened while they were still alive. Elf ears removed happened after death it appears.” She gritted her teeth. “And they were tortured. Saw twisted fingers, split knuckles, crushed toes. But they were picked clean.”
“Why take the foot and hand?” Brendon asked.
“Prevents them from being whole again in case someone was able to find them and raise them from the dead. They would be forever maimed and crippled.”
“Wow. Fucking sick.”
Sniffing her own clothes and detecting the aroma of goblin piss Lyra gripped the base of her club tight and growled, “Let’s get going. I’m feeling the need to fucking kill a bunch of goblins right about now.”
Kovid agreed. “Let's leave this place. We have water to find."
The group shut the door and once back in order, continued down the NORTH and WEST passage, and then turned to the WEST, walking slowly and listening for anything in the area. After a few minutes they arrived again back at the site of the kobold fight from yesterday, only a few stains on the floor showed what had happened. There was a set of stairs here going DOWN and WEST and the party gathered close together while Brendon (<Search, Red 19) and Wyn (>Search, Yellow 9) went first, scouting the area for anything that might be a problem or trap.
The stairs went down 30’ and then came to a cooler corridor that went on to the darkness. Stepping forward past the edge of the lantern light, the elf had his infravision kick in to show the passage went on another 25 paces or more and then dropped off again down more steps – and the sound of water and the feel of it was fresh on the elf’s tongue.
The group discussed the area and decided to keep on going. The travelled together, moving slow and sure to the next stairs and then went down the short single flight to a natural cavern that was lit by natural phosphorous mushrooms growing on the damp walls. The sound of gurgling water was strong as they could see the entire far side of the cavern was dominated by a large pool of slow flowing water. It was pretty deep appearing, maybe 7 of 8 feet, and Wyn (<Int +2 elf, Orange 7) took a quick glance touch and taste before announcing, “It’s fresh!”
Kovid looked it over (Stonework, no roll). “Natural aquifier in the area, flowing under the castle. Probably the same that might have fed the town of Acreage long ago. So they had a well outside and this source of water inside as well. Pretty smart and handy if they need to withstand a siege.”
Brendon crouched low and looked. “Tracks too. Lots of them. Goblin, kobold, and whatnot.” He stood up. “I guess this is where they get their water.”
“That mystery is solved.” Lannis said.
Abraxas kicked some refuse on the floor. “Lots of ratta bones and stuff here, no?”
The group looked around, and sure enough there had to be almost 2 dozen partially eaten or just bone remains of vermin in the area. In the back end of the cavern past where the phosphorous glow faded, the group could hear some echoing squeaking noises from back there (No roll).
Time now is 1:46
(OOC)
Not alone down here, some sort of animal noise. Water is fresh and clean, can fill skins if want. Yes, the denizens of the castle come here for water – so keep that in mind. What’s the plan?
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