(I/C)
“Now I’m sure everyone slept as well as I did,” Brendon began, “And as for this morning’s direction, I was pretty out of it last night. But I think someone mentioned the sulfur pools.”
“That was me,” Lyra said, hand raised.
"I vote we go to the sulfur pit first,” Lannis suggested. “Get it out of the way now instead of later. After that you know the old saying "you can lead a horse to oil, but you can't make it think".”
“Then I agree we should get those bandages cleaned.” The Scout also looked down at his belt, “Also, Lass, I don’t hope to sling any more do you can have this one.” He handed Lyra the sling from his belt. “Just in case yours slips free you’ll have another.”
“Thanks,” she said, tucking it under her belt just beneath her backpack. “Another sling would be much appreciated, thank you!”
“Who’s carrying the extra arrows?” Brendon asked, looking around. “I’d like to top off my quiver and have 1 in hand.”
"Monsieur Dwarf had de arrows,” Wyn shrugged. “You cen probably leave dem here, dwarfriend... dough du Lac en I will each take enough to fill up."
“Take what you need,” Kovid smiled, handing Brendon 2 and Wyn 1 arrow. “I’ll carry them for now. Ah!” He sighed loudly. “I feel as refreshed as Thor's balls in an Asgardian bath! As for direction? The sulfur pool is a good first stop."
Meanwhile Abraxas had been quickly cooking up a couple of 1 lb steaks on the oven for now, searing them and then covering them to speed up the cooking process. “I dunno, isnt the Classroom on the way to the Sulfur Cave? It doesnt seem to make sense to go to Sulfur cave THEN classroom. That would take too much time. Let's get the Oil first, then see about those noises, then sulfur, then Yailer.” (>Cha check, -5 penalty 5 others all want sulfur room first, Blue 13)
There was a round of discussion about it but the group pretty much want to take care of the Sclepian bandages first and now. “They have been the most important thing we’ve found regarding long term healing and truthfully, starting off the day without them at the ready just means we might be screwed up later if we don’t do it. The Oil will be there and we have to come back along past it again anyway,” Lyra said, getting a series of nods from the rest of the party.
“Ok, ok.” He pointed to the steaks that were just finishing up. “As for the Yailer, I'll bring him a gift. Otherwise we will be spending all day just roaming around de Bastille and el Yailer is waiting for us.”
“Doc, I admire they way you get on with things of other races.” Brendon smiled, “I hope in our time together I hope I too can learn from you.”
Giving him a sideway nod of thanks, Abraxas continued, “Should we decide now what we have available to trade him for the Flail should he agree to trade? This Honey I'm carrying I'm definitely willing to trade. Do you think he'd want this ribbon or these pins from the dressing room? What else do we have?"
“Let’s wait and see what his deal is before we go ahead and tat Mister Jail Spook a couple of doilies, ok?” Lannis asked. “Sulfur, Oil, what the fuck the noise was, then Jailer.”
“Do we need more oil at dis point...." Wyn pondered, getting 5 incredulous looks back.
Lyra laughed, “Haha... do we need more oil. As if that’s a question.”
"Hahaha of course we do! Dat was silly of Wyn to ask." The elf finished his laughter and handed Lannis a rolled up scroll, “’Ere, Scroll of Detect Invisible. I transferred it to me spellbook... so I tink it may be good to have two of us able to use de spell in a pinch if necessary."
“Thanks,” Lannis replied, tucking the scroll into his backpack. “We ready?”
The group nodded, Brendon taking out his towel. “I have an idea for dealing with the odor we‘ll have to inhale shortly. I’ll cut up my towel into several squares, lightly coat each layer with the soap i have then layer multiple squares upon each other. If Lannis will relinquish the some twine I will make a face covering for everyone.”
“Don’t have anymore. I used it on the censer, remember?”
“Um, none?”
“What part of NO more left, did you miss?” Lannis shrugged.
Gritting his teeth, the Scout took out his coil of rope and hacked off a 5’ piece. “Fine. Fine. I’ll just unravel more.”
Kovid frowned. “So, you are going to unravel that rope, and then cut up a towel, then coat it in soap, then punch some holes in it and string it together? And you’ll do this for SIX sets of masks?” He shrugged. “Sounds exhausting.”
“And who’s going to wear a mask?” Lannis scoffed. “Sounds like bullshit. Plus I probably can’t breathe in it. And who made you the boss to tell me what I have to wear and not wear? Infringing on my freedoms, you’re not the king. Also, it most likely won’t keep the smell out anyway.”
The party all made disparaging noises at the Magic User who shrugged, “I’m the Maga User…er…Magic User. I know more than all of you put together. Trust me.”
“Whatever Big Brain.” Kovid hoisted his backpack. “Let’s get going.” He made sure his lantern was full and the party left the Butcher’s chamber, closing the door with care behind them. The walk south down the long wall was without issue and the group made their way beyond the dressmaker’s room and the scriptorium. At the Wide Hall, they made sure there coast was clear and then turned west, making their way to the Statue room, where they were pleased and surprised to see the Ballista was untouched.
“I guess it wasn’t this that we heard them hitting,” Lyra whispered. We continued on beyond there to the Warren, then down the steps to the cold hall, and the long walk east to the corner where they turned south and went up the flight to the south west corner of the Ispan’s Castle. They went down to the next turn off and stopped at the top of the stairs going down. By this time Brendon had unraveled his 5’ rope into plaited lengths and was looking to cut up his towel next.
“Ok,” Lyra whispered. “Same as before, just Kovid and I go down. The rest of you watch up here.”
“Oui.” “Si.” “Yes.” “Stop yammering and go already.”
Shaking her head, Lyra and Kovid nodded at one another, the Cleric put on the rawhide gloves, made sure she had the Sclepian Bandages ready, and the two of them went down the steps to the bubbling grey pool. Kovid stayed back a bit at the priestess got on her hands and knees at the foul smelling pool and began scrubbing the first bandage in the warm roiling water. After a few minutes the bandage gave a flash and appeared clean. She smiled, rolled it up, and moved right to the next one (<Save vs Poison +2 bonus repeated visits, White 12…=Save vs Poison +2 bonus repeated visits, Yellow 8). She seemed to be handling it well but Kovid had to occasionally shake his head and turn to the side and cough – but the dwarf was still holding on – hammer out and eyes peeled.
(WMC: Red/Black 1 – thanks Kelly! What: 1d6 – 1, # Appear: 1d8 – 8. Close: 2d6x10 – 4+6=110’.)
(<Hear Noise +20% party, Red 12) Brendon was slitting the towel into 7” squares, his motions methodical and exact as he cut square after square. But then he stopped and tilted his head. “What?” Abraxas asked on seeing the Scout stop working.
“Um…” Brendon held a hand up and then motioned back. “Step back, down the stairs,” he whispered. “Coming.”
“Merde, already?” Wyn asked fading back. “Orcs?”
“No,” the Scout muttered very low. “6..7..8. Moving slow. Chanting. Coming closer, I think from the water pool south of here.”
Lannis had stepped further down the stairs, not too far though that the sulfur smell would overwhelm him. “What are they? Hobgoblins?’’
“If so, we might be able to take them by surprise,” Abraxas wondered.
“No,” the Scout sighed. “Chanting, hissing a bit. I can hear…Corfard…Guys, I think it’s a troupe of the clerical salamander Adepts.”
“The fuckers who blinded me?” The fighter gasped. “Not again.”
(>Enemy Hear Noise: Black 20 – failed. Direction: 1-3 closer, 4-6 away: Red 4 – going away)
The party could hear them, 8 of them, all chanting together in a monkish fashion, as they walked slowly out of the southern corridor and continued on immediately east and most likely to the Grand North Hall and beyond. “Getting water? Going back up to 2nd floor?” Lannis wondered. “Do we WANT to fight them? Bastards were tough before, had spells, and metal armor under their robes. Is this something we want to do now?”
From below Lyra had finished washing the last Sclepian Bandage and putting it away, took off her gloves, replaced them in her back and nodding to Kovid, the two of them went up the stairs to see the rest of the group quietly conversing at the top of the steps. “What’s going on?” they asked, getting a quick heads up of the wandering monsters who were in the vicinity but walking away now.
“So…we going to reckless and attack or just hang out a few minutes and let them get real far ahead?”
Time now is Day 6, 10:00 AM
(OOC)
Bandages clean. Still at top of stairs. Wait 1 or 2 minutes and then head back the way you came (which is NOT the way they are going) or attack the baddies?
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