It was a long turn since I could get them going to the sulfur room unless something material changed along the way.
FOUR HUNDRED SIX
(I/C)
Putting the Crystal Ball and stand away, Lannis looked over the party then pointed north, shaking his head slowly. “Not. A. Fucking. Chance.” He said with deliberate care.
The dwarf nodded in agreement. “Well according to Big Brain, the Throne Room looks like a tough encounter. We either plan this one out right, or it might be another harpy situation. I say we go back towards the Watchtower check out what they did to the magical scimitars and maybe stir some shit up downstairs while trying to get more bandages cleaned.”
The Magic User snapped his fingers in Kovid’s direction and replied, "I've got a name Thumbelina, use it. I say we go see what they did to the swords trap, see if we can decipher or go around it. After that we go clean the bandages I've never been offered and maybe kill someone.”
Lyra frowned at Lannis’ comment, exclaiming, “I OFFERED-oh fuck you.” She then took out the artificer doll and proceeded to punch it in the face twice, making the head rock back and blood to appear upon it. “So satisfying. I can understand why Mirabellis had this made.”
Rubbing his nose and looking at his clean fingers but feeling strange none the less, Lannis continued, “Also I've got this paper here that implicates Grimtooth in the plot to kill Colonguard, maybe we could put it somewhere the Hobgoblins will find it."
Checking his arrows, Wyn slung his quiver into place and checked his blade. “Oui. I tink we all be on de same page. Down de stairs we go. Bandages en water be good to get. First floor we go.”
Abraxas had the Bag of Holding open and was counting off the potions one more time. He took the three dirty Sclepian Bandages and repositioned them so they were in his backpack and not the Bag. "Amigos, vamonos. Si necessitamos Ban-dah-jes limpia, than necessitamos make haste downstairs, mas rapido. Pero necessitamos estar mas silencio while we caminamos. Si quieres experience mucho, than mueremos los Gobs a el Norte, pero es mucho peligroso. In any case, we should proceed con mucho cuidado. Anyone need anything antes we leave?"
The elf snagged one of the Recall potions and tossed it to Lyra (reduce number to 2). “Priestess, drink one of de recall potions before we go, s’il vous plaît.”
“Good idea,” she said, popping the top and drinking it down. She then put the vial back in her pouch and got ready to go.
Brendon had already made his way south to the secret door leading to the Summoning Room, ear to the wall and listening (<Hear Noise, +25% quiet, Red 49). “I’m closer to level than most of you. Let’s get back down and see if we can find more experience.”
As the party all left the Vault, Wyn locked the door and we all stayed quiet as we approached the secret door. “We should be careful leavin here in case de broken inviso hobs or gobs are in de summonin’ room,” Wyn suggested.
“Good idea,” Lannis said. He took out his box, and then fished around for the Scroll of Detect Invisibility. He read the words and the scroll was consumed before he blinked a few times and looked around. (Lasts 6 turns) “I’m ready.”
Kovid opened the door and we entered through the pivoting wall, Wyn leaping out and slashing twice before Lannis coughed and getting the elf’s attention, shook his head ‘no’. “Eh, better safe den sorry.”
We closed the door to the secret door and made our way towards the door south. Through there it was a short walk to the Hallway door where we listened (WMC: Red/Black 3) and heard nothing. We exited the hall, and went east, Abraxas bringing up the rear and watching west as we ran on. At the “T” intersection we checked the hall and then dashed across to the north and made our way along the north side of the Alchemist Lab. The Castle was quiet, maybe an odd echo in the distance, but there was a serious lack of noises, conversation, or sound. It was …unnerving.
Brendon and Kovid led the group down the hall and up the stairs to just outside the Scimitar room. As Lannis had reported to us through his Crystal Ball, the chalk marks on the door had been rubbed out. “So…do what?” Brendon asked.
“Blessed Corfard,” Kovid muttered, “Douche.” He chuckled twice and then said, “We have to assume that at least the original password works.”
“Dere is no hints as to what it might be.”
Brendon took a slow breath. “Let me see if I can open the door and maybe disarm the trap.”
“It’s an illusion,” Lannis offered.
“It’s a trap illusion.”
“But it’s still magic you putz. What are you going to do? Wrap it in lead foil?”
Brendon sighed. “I can at least look first. Is that going to kill you?”
Lannis held up his hands. “Fine, fine. Frankly I’d rather continue to argue this point while in a precarious position where we can be caught at any moment and then slain in the open, but you do you, Crocodile Dundee.”
“Thanks.” Brendon carefully opened the door, eyes fixed up on the ceiling, and looked around for something that might be used…
The three Scimitars tore off the ceiling and ripped into the Scout right at the entrance of the short hall (+4 to hit, >White 14, >White 12, <White 6). One slammed into the center of his chest, hitting him in the heart. The second whizzed across, bisecting his face. And the third shredded his right arm. Brendon gave a gasp of terror (d6 turns: White 5) and fell over dead.
“Fuck. Fuck!” Lannis said hands to his face. “I told him! I TOLD him!”
“Shut the FUCK up, Big Brain!” Kovid scolded the wizard as the party looked at the Scout lying on the floor unmoving. Lyra had already dropped down and was checking him over. “Can you help him, lass?” Kovid asked. “You have spells, yes?”
Lyra was running her hand over the Scout’s skin and frowned. “He’s..not cut. At all.” She placed her hand at his nose and smiled. “He’s breathing. But knocked out.”
“What happened?”
She stood up. “I’d say he believed he was killed and his body shut down.” She looked him over. “I’d guess he’s going to be out of it the better part of an hour.”
“That is not acceptable,” Lannis said worriedly. “We have to move on and cannot stay here while he sleeps off the hits.”
“Priestess, si vous plait,” Wyn bent down and had Lyra help him get Brendon standing. The elf then hunched lower and positioned the unconscious Scout on his shoulders in a fireman’s carry (Superior Strength, ok! Move speed slowed while carrying him). “Monsieur Offop is right. We ‘ave to go on.” He pointed up, the Scimitars with missing from the ceiling, “And de trap ‘as been disarmed for now so I say let’s go while we can.”
“Vamanos, amigos,” Abraxas urged the group, seriously concerned we had been here too long already. “To the Witchtower.”
The group walked down the hall to the other door and through it we came upon the Watchtower. We could see the rainbow ward through the Glassstone, peppered by falling rain in the early dawn light. We took the stairs down to the Lower Watchtower and then following Kovid and his lantern, further down the long long stairs until we arrived finally just outside the Guard Room.
We gave our best attempt to listen (no roll), heard nothing, and then the dwarf opened the door and we looked in. It appeared as it did earlier, except the lever that was normally on the wall to set the guillotine trap was missing. “Huh,” the dwarf noted, “That’s peculiar.”
“Do we have to dodge that slamming blade?” Lyra asked concerned.
Abraxas and Kovid looked over the area. “The slot is still here and I can see the mechanism through the slot. There is a fitted pipe that would slide in there, and be the lever. Looks like they turned the guillotine off and took the pipe with them so it can’t be turned on behind them.”
“If we found de pipe, could we turn it back on?” Wyn asked, hoisting Brendon up a bit to relieve some pressure on his shoulders.
Abraxas nodded. “Si. No problema.” He looked through the eastern door that was open and down the steps, hearing the chirping calls of the locusts below. “Let’s move.”
The group once more went down the stairs, Lyra helping Wyn to turn the corner, the cricketing locusts sounds getting louder and louder. “No,” Lannis said wearily, “Please. Just no.”
“Poop,” she replied with a smile, and the group made their way north and east, passing through the caverns. They moved along, weaving through the turns and twists until they eventually passed by the Jailer’s original cave and finally the turn to the west. We left the rough cavern area behind and moved on through the long hall. Eyes peeled and ears straining, we could hear the sound of rain echoing and could see the Beekeeper’s room door was open. We knew that the passage eventually led to the main gates and we could hear the rain through the open door.
Just inside the room was a hobgoblin. Quite dead. And it looked like he died in terrible agony, neck arched back, eyes wide, mouth open in silent scream, hands clenched tight.
And every bit of skin on his body was missing. There were muscles and tendons and flesh showing – but literally no skin.
“That is…creepy as shit,” Lyra noted.
Lannis crouched low and poked the hobgoblin’s hand, seeing some glass shards on the floor from where he crushed something (Int>15, no roll). “I would guess that this is what the tainted invisibility potions do.”
“I did that?” Lyra asked with a smile. “Goody for me!”
“Dis Scout ain’t getting’ any lighter,” Wyn huffed. “Can we move on?”
“Sorry, Boss,” Kovid smiled. “If you need a break, let me know. Either Abraxas or I can carry him.”
Lannis glanced back at the Fighter who was watching their six and shrugged. “Let’s just leave it at you if we need. Aight?”
The party moved on slowly to the corner and made their way south, eventually coming to the spy area and the stairs up (WMC: Red/Black 4). We made it to the top of the steps and looked around the “T” intersection, listening. We heard nothing. Pointing east a bit to the main South Hall, Kovid led the party there, their footsteps echoing softly in the circle of their light. They made their way quietly past the dining room, noting the door was open but for now, they did not look inside (except to verify no one was in there). Lannis’ detection spell was still going strong and reported that there were NO invisible foes anywhere to date.
As they moved on they did look in the open doors they passed, noting that the store room with the beer was now empty of the casks. And still they moved on. The passage went around to the west and they came upon the entrance room, and from there went west more and then took the side passages until they came at long last to the stairs and hallway going down to the Sulfur chamber.
Lyra and Kovid once again wrapped cloth around their faces, the Cleric slipping the rawhide gloves on, and took the Sclepian Bandages from Abraxas. “We’ll be right back,” she said, and her and the dwarf went down into the gloom, taking the lantern with them. Wyn had lowered Brendon to the corner and fished out his light coin, the rest of the group waiting at the top of the stairs, quiet.
“Should I draw a dick on his face?” Lannis asked.
“No,” Wyn and Abraxas muttered.
“Just wondering. Maybe the question should have been, is there any reason why I should not draw a dick on his face?” He smiled. “Maybe another time.”
Meanwhile Lyra and Kovid were making fast work at cleaning the bandages, the cleric scrubbing them in the bubbling grey water (>Save vs Poison, +2 repeat customer, Yellow 15…>Save vs Poison, +2 repeat customer, White 15) until one…two…three, they all flashed white and clean again. Wrapping everything up, the two of them climbed out of the lower cave and rejoined the rest of the party again. Lyra handed them back to Abraxas and said, “Done and ready for the next night if we need them.” She crouched low and looked over the Scout. “Been 35 minutes,” she said, “Breathing is becoming regular, I can feel pulse getting stronger. I’d guess he’s up in 15 more minutes.”
“Water?” Kovid asked, pointing south. “Do we just sit here and wait? Or something else?”
Time now is Day 10, 5:40 AM
(OOC)
Alright! I checked the Discord and emails and figured I’d push you guys on to the Sulfur room as long as there was no WMC that ended up negative. What’s the plan? Brendon is still shut down for 15 more minutes.
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