Arvien was seriously intent on exploring the upper floor of the Quarters of the Brethren. She tip toed down the hall to the closed door at the end of the hall, the only door they saw on the whole floor. Meanwhile Varrid and Ralom moved across to the low ceiling-ed room across the hall and started examining the chests stored there.
Arvien found the door unlocked and she quietly pushed it open and peered inside. The room was filled with weapons, mostly strewn around the floor a few on weapons racks. There were maces, hammers, arrows, long-swords and staves. Arvien entered to look around but waited for Drovic to join her since he could detect magic at will. Only one weapon showed any magic, a standard mace. Meanwhile Varrid and Ralom found the chests were unlocked. Opening them they discovered rotting bed linens, worn and rotting robes, various other fabrics that were decomposing. Ralom cast Detect Magic and determined that one chest held some item. Opening that chest, which was again full of rags and rotting fabric he found a vial full of liquid. Ralom pocketed the vial and also took the mace, stating he would ask Father Milhouse for the use of them in the morning. Arvien decided to check on the monks in the first level of the quarters. Descending the stairs she crept to the first open cell and looked in, there were four monks laying on their pallets arms crossed and eyes open. One turned to look at Arvien but simply returned to his previous position. All the remaining cells also contained monks in the same repose. A door at the western end of the hall beckoned. Moving there with Ralom staying several feet behind, Arvien listened and heard no noise. Therefore she opened the door slowly and inside found Milhouse sitting on a stools, facing away from the door. The area was bare of decoration, only a writing desk and a few low wooden stools. Another area to the south was not visible. Arvien slowly closed the door and moved back toward Ralom.
Recalling that the stairway up to the second floor also continued down into the darkness, Ralom left to find Varrid to check out this passage, Seglun also followed down to the lower level. Varrid descended around twenty feet where she confronted a locked metal door. Attempting to open the door she felt sure that she had picked the mechanism, but the door did not budge at all. Ralom detect some sort of Abjuration magic on the doorway. Arvien suggested that they go check out the library again, those scrolls were enticing. On the way Ralom checked out the stairs down to a door outside the Hall of Contemplation. It had the same abjuration magic on it and could not be budged. On the first level or the library Arvien found three scrolls of Cure Disease, a scroll of knock, a scroll of mage armor and a scroll of identify. She kept the magic user scrolls and left the others for Ralom.
Leaving the library they headed for the understore of the dining hall. Seglun ran to the quarters to rouse Baru, Drovic and Grunyar to be backup in case they discovered something dangerous. The wooden floor of the lower level seemed to have rotted mostly away and the room was full of barrels, sacks, crates, and several large casks. In the sacks was grain reduced to sticky, mashed bricks. The barrels held flour that had solidified, the crates held a mush of rotted vegetable with some mushrooms growing out of tone. The casks held a very vinegary liquid, once possible a fine wine.
Arvien headed up the steps at the north end to find a door that led into a very dusty kitchen. The hearth was cold and the cauldron was showing mottling of rust. The table had nothing but pots and knives coated with much dust. Finding nothing magical the group headed for the temple. Arriving at the front door Arvien opened them and saw robed figures sitting quietly on the benches near the dais. The did not appear disturbed and none turned to see the intruders. So Arvien quietly checked that the monks were still laying on their pallets which they were with eyes wide open. Seglun closed the door and the group headed for their straw pallets, where they spent the night until Sister Gamaliel entered indicating it was time for the morning meal. .
Father Milhouse met them in the Hall of Necessity and asked if they had decided to stay on with the Order. While Ralom hemmed and hawed the rest of the party indicated that they would like to explore more to find a way off the island. Arvien asked about the monks in the temple at night and Milhouse explained that there were other monks who were more ill and stayed in the catacombs. Exiting only at night to bathe in the glow of the "Table of Life." Milhouse had nothing to offer the group and stated that they could leave at any time. Sooner the better thought Baru, there is no help here for us. By midday the group had collected their items and were in the lift house waiting to be lowered to the valley floor. They went in two batches and reached the bottom of the cliff in good stead. "Now what" offered Arvien. "Off to the west to find Akanga" suggested Ralom. "We will have to skirt the Broken Ones camp in that direction" said Arvien checking her map. So they were off heading for new adventure.
After reaching the jungle as passing into the shaded but humid undergrowth along a narrow pathway. Ahead on the path Varrid spotted what looked like a broken bundle cast by the side of the road. As Seglun approached, the bundle pulled itself upward and half staggered, half drug itself toward her. It was a twisted mockery of a man, its bones melted and warped, dressed in tatters of rags and flesh. The warped visage of its face was a melding of an insane human's with that of a terrified great cat. An inhuman gurgle churned from its ruined throat. The party recognized the sailor Lucky from the Sunset Empires and possibly Leo the leopard. Varrid and Grunyar both turned their backs with moans of sorrow at this recognition. Baru and Arvien ask what had happened to Lucky and he explained that a kindly old Doctor had found him on the shore of the island and brought him inland where he was kept in a room. Yesterday he was surrounded by a bear like creature and leopard type and a young woman with a cotton pad in her hand. The bear and leopard attacked until he fell unconscious, when he awoke he was strapped on a great table in a conical room with bright lights shining on him. Next to him was the Doctor holding a knife and a black leopard strapped to another table. Suddenly the doctor was using to knife to open up his abdomen, but keeping Lucky alive while his terrible surgery continued. Finally Lucky lapsed into unconsciousness and when he awoke he was as the group sees him now. He was unceremoniously cast out of the wooden palisade to fend for himself in the jungle.
See that the creature was incomplete, now lacking a number of basic organs, eyes turning crimson from internal damage or poison Ralom cast cure light wounds of the woeful Lucky/Leo. It seemed to have no affect. Lucky/Leo then pleaded for release from the agony and suffering. Arvien queried if he wished to die at which he sorrowfully begged for death. Baru pulled out his sword and applied a coup-de-gras, mercifully ending Lucky/Leo's existence as he gasped "He is the master of pain..."
Shaken by this encounter the party was determined to try and find Akanga, surmising the the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Either way death was probable at this juncture. As they continued to the west, bending north to miss the Broken Ones camp the group was surprised as without warning or sudden movement, manifesting like a desert mirage, they were completely surrounded. The broken ones were silent and stony-faced, their twisted, anthropomorphic faces like masks of some arcane and fell sect. Some of the Broken Ones were carrying weapons of cold iron, but most were unarmed. They made no immediate move to attack, but stood there watching.
The group stood its ground not making any move towards weapons or moving in any direction. After a short pause that dripped with danger the crowd of Broken Ones parted at one side and a great lion-headed man strode into the pathway. He was wearing leggings made of the hide of some dark-furred beast and had scars across his broad chest and muzzle. His eyes were those of a predator, missing nothing, and his smile showed even rows of razor-sharp teeth. Behind him a trio of deer-men brought a high backed wicker chair. The lion-man nodded and they set it down. He sat in the chair facing the adventures as Varrid whispered softly "Akanga?"
"I am Akanga," he said in a rolling deep voice, "We must talk." "We agree" said Varrid not moving a muscle. Akanga started off "You have supped at the table of a darklord, and for that you are damned to begin with. But I will offer you a chance for redemption." "Your benefactor is Frantisek Markov, called the giver of pain, Diosamblet, by the sheep who worship him and submit to his hellish experiments." "I, Akanga, was once a man who dreamed of beasts, or a beast who dreamed of men, but Diosamblet stole my past and turned me into what I am, neither beast nor something between the two, partaking of both."
"Diosamblet calls himself a god, but he is not a god, and he must pay for his transgressions. His work is a crime against nature, and he turns he experiments out when they do not please him." " Diosamblet must not get the "Table of Life." Baru say quickly that the group left the Table with the monks, "We have no intention of allowing him to get his hands on it."
"Diosamblet will die at my hands" says Akanga. "I have rallied this group and more of the Broken Ones -- we are going to assault the estate and kill those within." "It would please me greatly to have your assistance in this assault." "It would help steady my troops many of whom still think Markov is a god." "If you accept my offer and join us you will be redeemed, if not I will give you a five minutes' head start, then set the force on your heels."
With no hesitation the party accepts at once and shouts in unison "Akanga, Hai." Suddenly the entire cadre is moving swiftly to the northeast, toward the manor. Asking as to his battle plan Akanga replies that it is simple -- a direct headlong assault on the estate. "I have a friend at the side of the false god."
DMs Notes: The party earned 200XP for the night and now have 3000 XP and are 2nd level. We will meet at Rich and Joette's on Sunday.
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