Undead Underground

Posted on 12 Jun 2023 @ 12:52am by Townsfolk The Scholar & Warrior Katya Charbonnet (Shar-bon-ay) & Rogue Nazri Arisant & Mage Kithris Sabrae

1,460 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Hall of the Phantom Shadow
Location: Bandit Camp near the Imperial Highway
Timeline: Bloomingtide 7th, after 'Dead Justice'

OOC: Bandit Camp Group: Katya, Nazri, Kithris

After leaving the Bandit survivor with some of the captives who had begun to return to the camp, Nazri, Katya, and Kithris-bear approached the cave entrance. In the dim light filtering in from outside, they could see that the cave was no bigger than a small room, empty except for two unlit lamps with handles. Across the cave on the other side, was a spiral staircase leading down.

"Well, looks like we head underground. Kit you want to change back or go in as a bear. Might be a little cramped as a bear," Katya says.

Kithris-bear looked at both Nazri and Katya as her large bear head nodded. It took a few moments for the shift back to being herself. She took a deep breath and sighed slightly, "It is always fun being a bear. Though your tend to be hungry all the time." She glanced back at the bandit when she said his.

Looking back to the cave, Kithris added, "Well, I say we see what is down at the bottom of the stairs."

"Sure," Nazri replied with a grim smile on his face. Let's do this."

The three head down the spiral staircase without incident, and find themselves in a narrow corridor, the sharp corner ahead dimly lit by a wall lantern. Easing past that turn, they can see that the hallway is long, fading into darkness at the end. Two doors are on the left, both closed, one near and the other further on.

"If one of you wants to open the door," Nazri said, his hand on his bow, "I'll cover you."

"Well sounds like something I should do," Katya said. She opened the closet door first, readying herself for an attack, just in case.

Nazri had his bow in one hand and was prepared to bring it up and noc an arrow if he needed to, but he took a deep centering breath. He had arcane powers he could draw from as well. Those might be better suited to deal with whatever was beyond the door.

Kithris stood just off to the side, her eyes brightening as her right hand turned a light blue. The magic gathered as she readied Winter's Grasp. "Ready when you are."

The door opened to the stench of rotting flesh and the sight of a small dark room that held both skeletons and partly-decomposed corpses. One corpse that leaned against the far war stirred and began to shamble towards the door.

Nazri saw the corpse amble forward, he reached forward into the shadow closest to the door and used it slam the door shut.

Kithris was ready but had not expected such a stench to waft out from the other side of the door. This had caused her to take a small step back and loose focus on her spell. She was quick to regain her concentration. Hand turning a light blue she didn't get the chance to cast because Nazri was quick to shut the door. "Take away all my fun."

Taking the lamp from the sconce outside the room full of dead, Nazri, Katya, and Kithris were able to see down the dark corridor. The wall to their right was plain stone. To their left was a closed door, followed by an open hallway to the left, and another closed door ahead at the end of the corridor.

"Alright, well so much for the closet! Let's check the left door first. Ready yourselves" Katya said as she opened the door cautiously to see what was in there.

Kit gave a nod to both Katya and Nazri as she readied to cast a barrier around the three of them.

The door opened to a room about the same size as the first. But where the previous room was populated by stored corpses, this room appeared to have a less macabre purpose. There was a desk and chair, weapon racks, and two chests. But no animated corpses in this room.

On the other side of the room was another door, equipped with a bar on the outside to lock something in, although the door was open. Shining a light into that room, Kithris, Katya, and Nazri could see that its meager furnishings suggested a jail cell. Another door on the south wall was closed, and (if they tested it) barred from the other side. From the relative dimensions of the two rooms, the three explorers might guess that the door led to the hallway they had not yet investigated.

"Well, looks like we have another hallway to investigate! Let's go!" Katya said

"Perhaps I should take the lead?" Nazri suggested I might be better equipped to handle things. What do you think?"

Kit looked to both Katya and Nazri, "I agree that we need to check out the other hallway. I say we check this room here with the desk, weapons, and chests. There might be some information on what is going on with these undead and amulets. Besides, there might be something in those chests that we could use or the weapons

"That is a wise idea," Nazri said, "let's see what is in them. Do you think any of them might be trapped?"

Kit shook her head. "I do not think so."

Inside the chest, the three adventurers found stolen coins and jewelry, and a letter that references Miss Caroline Ellis' orphanage catches Katya's eye.

Kit grabbed the jewelry, leaving the coin and letter.

Returning to the hallway, Katya, Kithris, and Nazri once again saw a closed door at the end of the corridor to the south. Another corridor led to the east, with a barred door on the left the three realize leads to the cell they were just in. The three adventurers approach the closed door at the end of the hall and open it cautiously.

Inside, they find more chests and stored valuable loot, but luckily no walking corpses. There is one more door, partway down the east corridor.

"OK let's grab the loot afterwards. One more door to check." She was still concerned about that letter. She took a closer look at it while she had a moment. Why was a letter addressed to the orphanage here? it worried her. She read the letter hoping to shed some light on the subject!

Kit gave a nod as they stopped at the last door. She looked to Katya when she noticed that she was looking over the letter that had been in the chest. Moving closer she put her hand on Katya's arm. "Is everything alright?:

On closer inspection, Katya along with Kithris and Nazri looking over her shoulder, could see that it was not exactly a letter, but a familiar invoice neatly printed on a sheet of foolscap. The farmer who made daily early-morning deliveries of fresh milk and cheese to Katya's mother's orphanage included just such an invoice tucked among the bottles and crockery every week. At the top of the sheet were the words 'Miss Caroline Ellis' orphanage' and below were tallied the daily products and costs for that week, with a total. The invoice's date was yesterday.

A note was scrawled across the sheet in less neat handwriting, that read:
Rossa,
The witch's kid is here.
More carers in house than expected.
Best to act when the warrior is away and kill all witnesses.
Ready and awaiting your command.
~A

"Does anyone know who the witch's kid is?" Nazri asked, "or who A is? This note raises more questions than it answers."

"No idea although I fear for the Farmer. he was always so nice to us."

Kit shook her head when Nazri asked if anyone knew who A or the witches kid was. She looked up at Katya when she commented that the Farmer had always been nice to her. Giving her a smile, "If you think you need to check this out, I will be there with you."

In the last room, Nazri, Kithris, and Katya found more stored loot, including a table with a pile of loose coins. But this room was distinctly different than the others, more like the basement of a house. On one side were wooden stairs leading up.

They could hear voices from the room above them.

Nazri put a finger to his lips to indicate silence than listened to see if he could make out what was being said.

Katya listened to the voices to see if she could make out what they were saying.

Kit stopped and gave a nod. She motioned to the two and made a gesture of pointing to herself then gesturing making herself small. Then she shifted into a mouse and headed to the door.

-----

 

RSS Feed