The Tower of Ivor (and other adventures!) 5e

[Beckoncall]

Kittenpom20

It was near dusk when the carriage finally made the rocky and bumpy trek from Rabican through to the frontier to stop at "The Last Chance Inn" -- the road ahead seemed to peel around back at itself as it headed due west back into the realms towards the city of Bagrada. To the north sheer cliffs of the Shadanar Salt-flats -- A barren land known mainly for it's orcish raiders -- and to the east the Wispmarches -- a foreboding swamp given a fearful name for the land was wild and untamed, a drowned land full of blackness and mud. THAT was where Cynna Fletcher, Cleric of Tritherion and Jodocus the Warm, her hulking bodyguard of a Knight were headed. It was rumored less than a day's walk through the swamp lay the dungeon hideout of Ivor the Mad -- a renegade sorcerer who from the fringes of civilization had been demonstrating slowly, to the unease of what little populace there was on the frontier, that he was up to no good.

Storms of green swirling lightning had begun days after Ivor himself passed through here on the way for some crumbling cave temple inside the marsh -- where he had made his lair, and more recently caused upset when it became obvious he was attracting and hiring a force of orcs and goblins to guard his domain in the swamp. Some said that even more recently his savage goons had begun looting the cemeteries on the frontier, taking bones and grave-goods alike for some other even darker purpose. It was at this point it was no longer just peasant stories about a strange man and the threat was taken seriously. Ivor was deemed an enemy of the city state of Rabican and now bore a bounty worthy of adventurers to hunt him. Cynna's god was a god of war, so her temple allowed her to take one of it's knight defenders as her personal guard and seek Ivor out.

The last chance in, in the twilight, looked like a happy and brightly lit boisterous tavern with a multiple story lodging squatting atop it almost precariously. Jovial music played and the fire from the torches about it and indeed the massive hearth from inside it spread into the dark and unwelcoming frontierlands all about it. A crowd of frontier fishermen, small groups of salt-miners, and local farmers had come to the Last Chance as they always did for a taste of levity in an otherwise unforgiving land. Cynna and Jodocus were strangers, but were well welcomed -- they were adventurers, and rumor had already spread from the carriage-folk to the Inn that they might be on the trail of Ivor.

The two would-be adventurers sat at the end of a long table with the great fireplace at their backs, a welcome chance from the wind and constant rain they'd suffered for hours in their carriage. Sinnis, the bartender and innkeeper introduced himself to them personally and said that adventurer's seeking to push back the frontier of hostiles "money was no good" here, that they would eat and drink free. A great but delicious swampfish was broiled and cut up for them, and beer and wine were ready on pour.

And so the adventure began. the adventurers could ask Sinnis for rumors and news, or they could attempt to get information from the miners and fishermen that caroused around them, most importantly they had to decide to stay the night at the Inn and head into the swamp at morning, or head into the swamp directly at nightfall...

 

[Kittenpom20]

Though Cynna was a cleric well used to traveling, it had never been easy, really; either she stood out, or she was given strange looks for her worship, or she had trouble communicating with the locals... the list went on. She understood why she was a strange sight at least; Cynna was much taller than most humans, complete with a shock of red hair that tumbled down past her shoulders. Her history of lukewarm receptions in new towns was the main reason she had chosen Jodocus the Warm as her guard, and so far, things were working out well - she didn't trust him completely, but he was nice enough, especially offering to pay for their carriage ride to the inn.
Happy, too, for the free food and drink, Cynna asked Sinnis for a pint of ale - whatever they had on hand - and turned to Jodocus. "Say, Jodocus, how do you feel about staying here for the night? I have a feeling there are some nasty things in the swamp that come out when the sun goes down."
She was hoping, too, that by staying she could have a chance to interact with some of the fishermen and miners, in the hopes that they might know something about the danger they were walking into.

 

[Beckoncall]

Kittenpom20

Jodocus was disarming enough, both of Cynna and the company around him. The knight ingratiated himself even more to the Inn's patrons, sharing scandalous tales of the city and it's celebrities no doubt hungered in the ear of frontier people, and a welcome lampoon of their far flung autocrats who had little truly to deal with the frontier.

Jodocus double-cooked his fish by pushing cubes around on the hot plate before popping them into his mouth and invited some of the locals to sit with he and Cynna. There were stories the ocals had themselves to tell, of the cagey tribes of orcs and goblins from the salt-flats that had fallen into the service of Ivor. They were raiders and opportunists by way of survival -- they would not make good neighbors the locals feared. It was said the goblins were particularly scared of magic on the salt-plains, and may be serving Ivor more out of fear than for cause or coin.

An old fisherman told the tale of Ivor himself coming to the Last chance inn on the way to his soon-to-be hideout in the swamps... it was said he nursed a great red egg, the size of a human head under his arm, and endlessly fiddled with a deck of mysterious cards with all manner of horrific visages on them. "A harrow deck" the sailor snorted. Dark magics in a harrow deck, and the stakes with them are seldom as mundane as coin. Sinnis brought a blue taper candle from behind the bar, swearing that ivor had accidentally left it behind him when he left for the swamps. He gave the candle to Cynna in hope that it would be of use for their quest.

The fishermen warmed to Jodocus and Cynna as the night went on and he ale flowed. A pair of swamp fishermen, Taroh and Tines, had offered them a ride up the river as far as they dared come close to the territory of Ivor -- but only if they left tonight. If they decided to leave in the morning it would be hours trek through the hot marshes (though perhaps in the safety of day) but the sailors swore the trip could take but two hours in the cool night air if they cared to travel with them by night, before it fully got dark.

Warm beds and baths awaited them upstairs, but it seemed to head directly to Ivor's lair by boat might be the boldest and quickest move...

 

[Kittenpom20]

Cynna, belly full with dinner and perhaps a touch too much ale, decided that avoiding traveling on foot would likely be the best decision. She and Jodocus would greatly appreciate a ride from the fishermen - both to avoid the trek on foot and the potential dangers in the swamp.

 

[Beckoncall]

Kittenpom20

Taroh and Tines were uneasy about having two additional (heavily armored and armed) folk in their fishing boat, but despite it being low-slung in the water "Ol' phaedrah" as she was called was fairly fast and agile on the riverbends of the eastern swamps. Jodocus sat at the back of the small vessel and helped cast the sailors nets and traps into the river, which they would collect on their way back downstream. Cynna Rode at the front of the small fishing boat and looked around at the moonlit skies above her and the murky wilds around them.

Being well travelled, Cynna had an impressive working knowledge of medicinal and special plants -- normally growing only in druidic communities, she found small bunches of "Goodberries" clinging with by soft fronds to some of the taller and more impressive trees. These goodberries had slight healing qualities (each restored 1 HP) but more to the point a single goodberry was nutritious enough to sate an individual for a full day, at nearly none of the weight of a traditional ration. Cynna, being tall, could reach the plumpest specimens hanging from sheets of moss as she spotted them in the dancing lights of luminous insects that flitted here and there in the swamp air. (Cynna gains 6 goodberries)

Also gifted with great perception she detected strange rocks in the deep below the riverboat, but could not make out their forms in the brackish water. They looked like marble or Ivories in their whiteness, Taroh simply added "Yeah, I'm looking out for them rocks too. Bends in the river are full of hazards -- don't worry -- me and Tines will get you as close as we dare to Ivor in less than another hour."

Occasionally, out in the darkness, a bright yellow, blue, or green light would flare and just as rapidly go out. "Wisps." Said Jodocus -- "NEVER follow a wisp in the marshes. They lead you into traps and feed off the misery and terror of those who get lost in the swamps. Vine things." Cynna acknowledged this, but could swear she heard them giggling at her and whispering just faintly out of earshot. Thy didn't SEEM ominous at all.

About half an hour later, the boat came to a fork in the river with the right bend flanked with ugly little painted masks and talismans -- warning totems of the goblins that moved into the swamp to serve Ivor -- Naturally the sailors intended to take the other bend, but moored the ship on the right side of the river until Cynna and Jodocus precariously spilled out of the watercraft in their heavy armor rapidly sinking into 2 feet of mud.

"If you follow the river you can't miss the cave of Ivor, friends. We wish you well, and anything you can do to make the frontier safer, we wish the gods empower you to do so" Taroh chimed, obviously in a hurry to get as far from here as possible. Tines chimed in -- "Your friend is right -- NEVER follow a wisp out here, and stay close to the river. It may seem watery on the banks, but this is clay, and it will keep up beneath you. You wander away from the river and folks in heavy gear can get in all sorts of trouble with their footing and the water. Just keep up the river until you find the cave!" Tines pushed his oar deep into the bank of the river and they sped away down the other bend, leaving them with the flitting fireflies, the distant pulsing of the wisps, and the seemingly uninviting signage of the goblins all around them....

Just then a butterfly with stained-glass looking wings the size of an outstretched hand landed on a leaf next to Cynna and seemed to stare at the knight and cleric, the reflections of the adventurers in every facet of it's large, compound eyes. The butterfly had a ruby-colored stinger almost the length of a dagger dragging behind it as it munched on a leaf.

Cynna found some goblin footprints leading away into the swamp, Jodocus, it not being his place to lead, but only to guard, waited for Cynna to dictate what the pair would do next...

 

[Kittenpom20]

Cynna relaxed as Taroh and Tines led them up the swamp, glad that they had been kind enough to offer the two adventurers a lift. She felt at home in nature, even though this particular place was unfamiliar, and was pleasantly surprised when she found some goodberries overhead. They could be invaluable for the travel ahead, or if they ran into some enemies and things got dicey. She'd offer one to Jodocus when she got the chance - they were delicious as well as useful.
She had also never seen whatever these wisps were - but they were beautiful, and she watched them dance throughout the swamp, curious about where they led travelers. Perhaps she would follow them another day, when there wasn't a task at hand.
She thanked Taroh and Tines upon their departure, turning to Jocodus briefly. "Let's keep going along the river, I don't like the look of these goblin signs and I'd rather stay far away from them if we can." With that, Cynna set off along the river as stealthily as she could, knowing that both the terrain and her armor could only make the situation worse. It was tough to see in the darkness, but she feared that creating more light would only call more attention to themselves, so she carefully stepped using the moonlight as her guide.

 

[Beckoncall]

Jocodus repeatedly pulled Cynna from the thick clay-like mud of the riverside. the mud was not deep, but it was difficult terrain and quickly tiring. With the moonlight as their guide reflected on the water, they headed further up river, past the goblin warning signs.

In the distance up the river was another adventurer -- the artificer Nesy Celvius -- who was also on the hunt for the dungeon of Ivor. He heard the knight Jodocus and the Cleric Cynna trudging, splashing and cursing in the river and went to investigate.

He was not alone.

Also investigating were a handful of goblins... perhaps six by the count of them, moving stealthfully through the marsh to take up positions in trees to ambush Cynna and her bodyguard.

Nesy would have to decide quickly if they were going to get involved and in what way... their perfect nightvision made the goblins hiding no obstacle to them getting a potentially clear shot with the heavy THUNDER CANNON the artificer hefted -- a weapon of their own design.

Cynna and Jocodus didn't sense the goblins surrounding them in an arc on their side of the river... the goblins took position and drew their shortbows to fire a volley of arrows at them -- would Nesy act to stop this?

NesyCelvestian Kittenpom20

 

[NesyCelvestian]

Nesy's nightvision could come across a few figures that were having bows, some would attempt to fire a volley of arrows at them so to speak and Nesy brung his heavy ass cannon with him. He saw two people walking through the riverside but there was something wrong and he immidetly knew what to do. He grabbed his cannon that was on his back while he thought about what to do. "...Alright, time to destroy." He exclaimed.

Nesy aimed the thundercannon or so he calls it: "Thunderpork." Then he would fire the weapon which caused a beam of electricity to shot out causing the half of the goblins to explode in mare seconds, and hot red particles scattered across the swamp along with a few pieces of charred meat that rained back on the ground, yet following with a spectactular electrical show. It illuminated the entire area with a white flash for a split second following with a BOOM.

This caused a lot of collateral damage to such extent as to injure the other goblins too! After he fired the weapon he screamed, "THUNDERPROK! CANNNON!" Nesy's yell echoed across the area as he saw the goblins getting decimated while three were left to eat their own demise. "...Damn, I love this weapon." He exclaimed as he watched the riverside. While Nesy observed the riverside as the two people were seemingly going to fight them off. The electrical beam has been fired from the distance. Cynna and them could witness someone standing there on the riverside too. Due to the high electricity, 3 of the goblins were damaged seriously causing them to ratatata a little. "GET COMPENSATED! WOAH!" He danced around a little in his own victory, and he stopped doing so because he thought it might have been too embarrassing to them.

 

[Beckoncall]

Just like that as soon as Nesy pulled the trigger three goblins were blasted into dime-sized shrapnel with all the fireworks the "Thunderpork Cannon" entailed.

The goblins were horrified. No longer on the offense and obviously not undetected, they were surprised, and hesitated as the entire swamp around them lit up with the thunder-blast, giving away the positions of the remaining three goblins in the trees.

Jodocus didn't hesitate, swinging his heavy crossbow up into firing position and pinioning one of the goblins to a tree by it's shoulder, dropping it's shortbow, it hung from the tree helplessly shrieking as it's comrades died all around him and the thunderous echo of the artificer's cannon reported through the swamp.

Cynna let her amulet rise up and called forth a "Toll the Dead" spell -- the goblin utterly failing any kind of resistance to the spell the target withered to a crispy black char then blew away into dust, further terrifying the remaining injured and flat-footed goblins.

The goblins surrendered instantly, the one pinned to the tree could do nothing but hang there, the remaining unwounded one ran out of the trees, dropped it's weapons and begged in broken common to be spared:

"Great Wizards! Stop your magical beatown! We surrender!" It seemed the goblins saw the thunderbolt attack and the toll the dead spell as some great and deadly wizardry, and they were clearly afraid of magic...

"Stop killing! We tell you anything! We help you! We your slaves!" cried the goblins...

The swamp was totally silent, having sent everything from bird to fish to insect and every crawling thing bolting from the area, such was the noise of the cannon's roar and the violence of the adventurers attacks...

NesyCelvestian Kittenpom20

Now what? Would Nesy introduce himself? Would they interrogate the goblins? prepare for more attackers attracted by the noise and light? The party was at yet another decision point...

 

[NesyCelvestian]

Nesy came out of the shadows as his night vision ceased to function now since he turned it off and decided to introduce himself. "Hey lads! Hehh..." His "Thunderpork Cannon." fumed from it's muzzle from the blast. "Well, was quite a nice show right there, almost got yourselves killed but I saved the daaay....I guess." He scratched the back of his head, his heterochromic eyes scanned the bodyguard and Cyanna. He decided to put the thunder cannon on his back while he faced back to them with a smile. He scratched the back of his head while he chuckled; was quite funny because the decimation almost made him lose his mind.

"Sooo eh... I'm Nesy, Nesy Celvius. Just call me Nesy yeah... I'm just a random adventurer who well... I found you splashing around in the river but then...Saw a few goblins there that got destroyed....Yeaaaaaaaaahhhh.." He introduced himself, though he seemed to look like a human, yet he was an Aesimar and yet remained to be completly human like. "Suppose... Ehhh..." Unfortunently, he stopped talking since he had nothing else to say, but he didn't have anything else to say. "That was my doing." He gave a innocent smile; seemingly to not act suspicous or anything. "It's not like I followed ya, I was on the hunt for some dunguon obviously."

He explained his intentions, it seemed to align with their own interests. "Ehe... So how ya'll doing." He asked, switching the topic abruptably.

 

[Beckoncall]

Tipping his cap, Nesy continued on his own journey downriver. Parting as strangely and quickly as he had entered the scene.

Now Cynna and Jodocus were alone again, after a fashion. They still had one goblin nailed to a tree by a crossbow bolt -- Jodocus humanely unpinned him from the tree and quickly bound their hands with leather straps.

They had to act fast now -- did they have time to interrogate the goblins? Was the noise of the fighting going to bring reinforcements?

They certainly couldn't take such prisoners with them, could them? Jodocus could carry a goblin under each arm, but their squirming would impair him doing much else other than walk around -- leaving him in no position to properly protect his charge.

Jodocus suggested that they either follow the goblin's tracks into the swamp as they were obviously on patrol and had to wind up at a base or camp eventually, or for them to hurry upriver and look for this cave they'd been searching for. The decisions however, would fall to Cynna to make...

Kittenpom20

 

[Kittenpom20]

Cynna was worried that with both the loud explosion and the fact that they had been quickly spotted by goblins on patrol meant they would likely be detected even if they tried to stealth up the river. Best to get rid of the problem as swiftly as possible, and there was no guarantee that the path to the cave was much safer.
“Thanks, Jodocus,” Cynna said, as the knight tied up the remaining enemies. Looking around, she saw the direction the goblins had seemingly come from - assuming there were quite a few more, they could try to stealthily make their way towards the camp and eliminate the rest of the threat.
“Let’s leave those two. I hope they’ve learned their lesson.” With that, Cynna followed the tiny footsteps in the mud, wherever they led.

 

[Beckoncall]

The sounds of the animals did not return to the swamp. Jodocus sighed and gestured to Cynna that they were definitiely "Made" -- whoever used these trails was already aware of their presence. They avoided a hastily erected net trap laid in the road with Cynna's careful perception, and heard repeatedly increasing numbers of enemies hiding in the brush falling back.

They eventually came to a clearing of solid ground, atop a hill above the water table that made it considerably less wet than the surrounding land. Four ORCS stood at the top of the hill, and they threw a red flag of parley down attached to a javelin at Cynna's feet. "Speak Undercommon to approach. Speak common, we let you leave if you turn around now." In the trees, at least 10 goblins had again taken to the trees, shortbows at the ready.

"You enter lands of Ivor, powerful wizard. We are bound to protect the approach to his home. You trespass, indeed already shed blood of the Broken Knuckle Tribe, goblin blood, but tribe blood nonetheless. We greet warriors with respect, and if they will not leave, we kill them, too."

Another orc with a skinning knife put his small blade away and pulled out a great double-edged axe.

"I am Ba-Ez -- leader of the Broken Knuckles outside the cave of Ivor. Speak your peace, and leave while you have chance, or your heads will forever decorate these lands as totems of tribe's power"

Jodocus turned to Cynna awaiting her reaction as a prompt on how to act. He flipped up his visor to let Cynna know he was smiling and that he trusted her leadership.

"You think we can talk our way out of this or come to some arrangement, Cynna? It looks like I'm about to earn my pay from the looks of it."

If they attacked now, they would catch the assembled foes by surprise, but if they parleyed who knows what they could accomplish?

It was up to Cynna to decide...

 

[Kittenpom20]

Their less than stealthy approach to the camp seemed to not matter at all – there was a sizeable group of orcs and goblins waiting for them when they arrived. Cynna, approaching at least 15 enemies, was glad to have Jodocus at her side. By herself, she would stand no chance against them, and definitely would have had to turn back. If a fight did break out, they had a good chance if they played it right. Still, best to not let it come to that in the first place.

Cynna winked at Jodocus, hoping he would play along to the plan she was about to pull. She squared shoulders and turned to the orcs, casting thamaturgy twice, once to shake the ground below them slightly, and another to make her voice boom at an incredible volume.

In Undercommon, she spoke in as commanding a voice as she could muster, “Death is a suitable sentence for those who conspire to interrupt the passage of me and my companion. I am Cynna the Vengeful, and I have been sent by Ivor himself to aid in his magic. I do not appreciate my mission being delayed. I would suggest that you and your compatriots allow us safe passage through this swamp, or you will face the wrath of the wizard himself.” Cynna held her hands outward, as if they emanated raw power, and hoped that they would fall for it.

 

[Beckoncall]

Kittenpom20 :

They fell for it.

The Goblins screeched like monkeys and fled from their trees deeper into the swamp, leaving the orcs, leering, down upon "Cynna the vengeful" and her bodyguard.

"Your story checks out -- but you are not the person we were expecting, nor were they said to be bringing anybody with them. We were told to expect the great wizard Balthus Dire, from the mountains Northeast -- to be coming to discuss long term plans with Master Ivor... and he is not expected for weeks. Still, if he has sent you in his stead it would explain your unexpected early arrival. I Just hope Master Ivor is not displeased with dealing with Balthus' subordinate rather than the wizard himself."

Jodocus barely stifled his laughing inside of his heavy helmet.

"Proceed along the dry path to the northwest and you will find the Cave of Ivor -- Inside is the lair of the Broken Knuckle until you reach the north portcullis -- beyond there only your magic will protect you, and no orc or goblin will escort you."

"Now if you have no other questions for us I would bid you leave directly for the lair of Ivor. We will see if he is as hospitable as we are, Cynna the Vengeful..."

Cynna and Jodocus were left with the obvious path to the lair of ivor but could interact or even attack these orcs if they wished...

As usual, Cynna's bodyguard awaited her lead...

 

[Kittenpom20]

It took most of Cynna’a self-control not to double over laughing at the sight of the goblins fleeing from them, fully convinced of her power. Regaining her composure, she said to the orcs, “I thank you for your hospitality. We will be taking our leave now.”
She followed the path that they had pointed out, becoming Jodocus to follow, lest they blow their cover and end up in a battle anyway. As soon as they were out of sight of the camp, Cynna grinned. “That wasn’t so bad, huh?”

 

[Beckoncall]

Jodocus nodded whole-heartedly to Cynna as they walked the well-trod path through the swamp... stopping only to pick a couple of nectar filled swamp-flowers, drinking deeply of the sweet, clean water before offering one of the "drinks" to Cynna.

"Not bad at all, but we should be doubly alarmed. We need to be done with Ivor before this 'Balthus Dire' Character shows his face... the only thing worse than a bad wizard is a cabal of bad wizards... and I'd rather take them on one at a time or not at all." Jodocus ate his empty flower-cup and shut the visor on his helm as Cynna used her survival skills to navigate by the tracks beneath them and the stars above... they had a good idea where this cave-lair was if it was relative to the river as they understood it's placement.

And find the cave they did. The land got drier and more rocky and solid underneath their feet until the path ran parallel with a cliffside and sure enough, where the cliffside almost met the river was a giant cave mouth that looked to be made of ancient stonework and not a natural cave at all.

To each side of the cave was a pile of Whitish Stone rubble, partially obscured by vines and collected dirt. They seemed to be defaced statues, but of what Neither Jodocus nor Cynna could say. The cobbled floor of the cave rapidly narrowed into a clean brick-walled tunnel... down the tunnel the sound of massively loud snoring could be heard, but it's source was unseen. It was too dark for Cynna and Jodocus to see without light inside the cave... Jodocus asked Cynna if she wanted him to light and carry forth a torch or if she had some other means of illumination... The damps smell of the air was met with a cold and dry breeze from the cave, a wind blowing outward like some forbidding sigh from inside the rockface.

It was time once more to consider what to do.

 

[Kittenpom20]

Cynna happily accepted the swamp-flower from Jodocus, surprised that a beautiful (and useful) thing could bloom in such a strange place.
“Not to mention, as soon as this Balthus fellow shows up they’ll know we were lying. Let’s try to get in and out of here as soon as we can.”
Once they were at the cave, Cynna took a long look at the statues, but was unable to determine what exactly their origins were. Nodding once they indeed confirmed some source of illumination would be needed, Cynna held the holy symbol of her god, Trithereon, and cast Light on it so that it illuminated the cavern in front of them. She shifted her pack on her back, took a deep breath, and nodded to Jodocus. “Let’s get this over with.”

 

[Beckoncall]

"Tritherion, huh? gonna be hard selling the idea we're evil agents with a beacon of good waving over our heads. Just as well, lets get stuck in it!
Jodocus said with excitement and camaraderie. The shadow of the god Tritherion and Cynna's arm waved against the dark brick wall as they slowly advanced... Coming after seemingly hundreds of yards into the rock they arrived at a "T" junction that turned west and east ahead of them.

Casting the light before the pair, they quickly lit up a dark ensconcement where a very large orc guard was sleeping until the light threw him awake, his vastly dilated pupils nuancing the complete surprise he was under at being so suddenly and unceremoniously awakened. A second orc guard came running from the east, pulling his pants up, likewise surprised. Pulling a sword and a greataxe the orcs said in unison "KILL YOU!" but they were still flat footed and unlikely to strike first.

Cynna either had to have some quick words ready or be ready to fight, Jodocus had already begun to wind up his arm for an epic blow over the smaller orc.

 

[Kittenpom20]

“You make a good point, Jodocus, perhaps I can illuminate something else -“
Cynna was cut off when she witnessed two orcs seemingly guarding the cave entrance, previously asleep, now quickly awoken by the light emanating from her amulet.
She wasn’t surprised to find that there were guards in this cave, but she was eager to explore further and see what surprises in store, and this situation wasn’t as amenable with words. Jodocus attacked first but he barely missed, the orc just able to defend himself. Taking advantage of their surprise attack, Cynna held out her hands and cast Toll the Dead on the other orc.

 

[Beckoncall]

Cynna's amulet glowed with a second kind of light, a holy radiance that scarred the big orcs face with a necrotic gash. The orc lurched forward but the Knight Jodocus quickly stepped in his path. The orcs rushed him. Quickly blocking the orc he staggered, the larger orc, enraged at not being able to reach Cynna, brought down his greataxe on Jodocus' shoulder, denting his pouldron and making him groan in pain within his helmet.

The Knight did not pause to give the orcs another chance, Running the larger orc through as Cynna rose her holy symbol again, this second time her holy radiance melted the face of the greater orc revealing an empty skull full of pointed rotten teeth. Undeterred, the second orc Struck Jodocus in the leg and blood began to run between the plates... the Knight was hurt, but did not slow down when he brought his full fury down on the orc that just struck him. With another strike he knocked the sword from his foes hand and in the next blow severed his arm from his body, cutting deep into his torso, green blood rapidly pooling at their feet, the trickle of the knight's red blood intermixing with it.

The fight took moments but Jodocus was panting. Fighting in all that armor must be tiring. He slid up his visor and licked his teeth mischievously. "Still a lot of fight in me, Cynna -- but if you can help at all I'd appreciate some healing."

The way to the east was a stinking pit... the tunnel just ran to a ledge which had to be a latrine of some kind from the horrible mephitic odor that rose from it. To the West, was a short hallway which lead to a series of three doors on the west wall before it continued into another hall through an open doorway in the north...

 

[Kittenpom20]

Grimacing slightly as the green blood connected with her boots, Cynna stepped back to a slightly drier portion of the hallway and shook the goo off of her feet. That was definitely going to stain.
“No worries, Jodocus, you should be feeling better soon. You’re finally earning your pay, huh?” With that, she tapped his shoulder and casted Cure Wounds, magical energy sparking at her fingertips and connecting with his armor. “Shame I cant fix that dent in your armor - although who knows, maybe we’ll find a new set down here.”
Taking stock of their options, Cynna figured that whatever was in these three rooms must’ve heard them by now, so there were no more enemies coming. She went to the first of the doors, opening it slowly.

 

[Beckoncall]

The sounds of snoring coming from the next room over were loud and disturbing. It seemed they were near a barracks of some kind, but the door Cynna opened was quiet -- an empty "mess" chamber, it was aptly named for having shelves and cupboards completely empty with utensils and wooden bowls and plates scattered all over the floor. Rotting vegetables and bits of gristle lay everywhere except on the table in the center of the room which was surprisingly clean... on the table was a small black leather box, slightly propped open so one could see a red velvet lining inside.

Cynna could decide to leave this room alone and investigate the barracks or the third door down which was seemingly brass-framed and made of strong red wood, unlike the rotten mold covered affairs on the other two doors, or simple proceed further through the doorway in the hall to the north, deeper into the rockface...

Kittenpom20

 

[Kittenpom20]

Cynna crept forward carefully, intrigued by the black leather box on the table. Slowly, she opened the box, and swore when a small snake bit her wrist, seemingly venomous. The snake still dangling from her wrist for a few seconds, Cynna waited and waited for the venom to take hold, but... nothing happened.
Grinning, she grabbed the strange-looking key from the box - which looked ominous with a skull on one end - and showed the snake to Jodocus before shutting the box tightly. She put it in her pack for later use - perhaps it could be useful.
“I guess I’m immune or something,” she whispered. “Let’s investigate whatever’s behind that red door. We should be fast, so we don’t wake whoever’s sleeping.”
And with that, Cynna crept over to the third door down on the row, ready to investigate whatever lay beyond.

 

[Beckoncall]

Kittenpom20

The door, well oiled, opened almost noiselessly -- their light illuminating the dark but clean room with an oaken desk and a shredded leather chair seating a pompous looking fat orc with his feet up on the desk, a goblin in fool's garb shining them tirelessly.

The ORC CAPTAIN quickly placed his double-plumed helm atop his head and kicked the goblin off the desk to stand both officiously and menacingly facing Cynna and her bodyguard. A rope hung from the wall going through a hole in the adjoining room with a handle on the end... an alarm or summons of some sort.

"Speak the name I'm expecting" The orc growled in common as he wrapped the rope-pull around his wrist. "Or I empty the barracks next door at your backs..."