The Sarcophagus Legion III

[JadedDM]

Babushka spends a minute searching for tracks or any sign of passage. But she finds none. In fact, based on the heavy dust on the floor, she can wager a guess that nobody has passed through here in a long time.

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Babushka makes a Tracking check at a -10 penalty (1d20): 2, pass.

[Breila]

Babushka walks back to the rest of the group. "This would be very interesting to explore, but I am sure your sister wife is not here. Nobody seems to have been here in a very long time. We should look elsewhere. And I will do now what I should have done from the start, check all the exits from the hallway to see which ones are used."

If no one objects, she'll start checking at the exit to the North, where Dala had said the laboratory was.

13, pass

[JadedDM]

Babushka returns to the main corridor and searches for signs of passage, but cannot find any. Whether that means someone has passed through recently or not, she cannot be certain. Tracking indoors is no easy task for a ranger like herself.

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Babushka makes a tracking check at a -10 penalty (for stone floors) (1d20): 13, fail.

[Breila]

Babushka gets up again and shakes her head. "Nothing to find here, there's no dust like in the passage to the mines. So we just have to check them out."

[Jenara]

"I still think we should go to the Shrine, the Scorpions are linked to one of the dark gods, I have a feeling we should go there." Locky says, looking back to the door.

"I hope Dala is ok, she had a good heart, I nice soul." She wipes her eyes with her sleeve, glad that she was invisible.

[Jerrard]

"I suppose it is possible that a Shrine is somewhere for them to hide Her." Jerrard looks towards the entrance to the Mine, "Or could they have used the mine?

[Breila]

"Let's not go here and there and back again. We have no idea where anyone is, I'd suggest we look at each of the passages in turn now. And I'd start with the laboratory and the shrine, because they don't lead further down."

[Jerrard]

"Then the Laboratory it is." Jerrard comments with a smile, "Lead on ladies."

[Jenara]

Then we go to the Lab." Locky announces, grabbing Babuskha's hand.

[JadedDM]

The party opens the doors and steps into the lab. Countless, high-pitched pained squeals seep forth from the room. In cages lining the opposite walls are dozens of rats maddened by agony. Many are malformed, their bodies a mass of cancerous tumors, while others have undergone what amounts to primitive surgery grafting unusual features--a scorpion tail here, batwings there--to their frames. In some cases two or three rats have been merged together to create a senseless mass of writhing chaos. A gore-caked table stands in the midst of the room, with an array of ghastly instruments and grim covered jars arrayed on it.

Adding to the maddening cacophony are the crazed cries of rats that have been imbedded alive in the clay plastered eastern wall. They cry for freedom. They cry out of terror and desperation. But most of all, they cry for scraps of food being offered by the gnarled hand of a hunched, hooded figure standing three and a half feet in height. He quickly throws off his black hood and stares right at Babushka with his milky white eyes. He says something to her, sounding angry. But it's in a language she doesn't know--probably dwarven.

There are a number of strange critters in the room that have also noticed the party's approach. They look like scrawny, ill-fed mongrels but also have rat-like features, including protruding teeth, long hairless tails, and an odious odor like that of fermented excrement.

[Jenara]

Init: 1d10=2

"Get Back, By Paladine go back." Locky lifts her holy symbol and attempts to drive the creature back.
1d20=11 (Turns a Wight or 5HD)

[Breila]

Babushka stands there, deafened by the shrieks and transfixed by the horror done to living creatures. But she's not ready to kill the creature as long as it does not attack her. She calls out: "Jerrard, do you have an idea what that is?"

[JadedDM]

Hearing Babushka call out, Thuskar hurries forward with the torch, so he can illuminate the room. Otherwise, there's no way Jerrard could answer the gnome's question, as he cannot see beyond the light of the torch.

The creature inside hisses at the torchlight, apparently finding it painful to look at.

Ulster hesitates, not sure if he should bring the donkey with them or leave it behind. But he doesn't want to be left in the dark. He eventually decides to leave Dekker in the hall, and hurries after Thuskar.

[Jerrard]

"It appears to be one of the Dark Dwarves." Jerrard suggests, readying his blade, "It does not like the light, I wonder." Muttering a few words of magic he illuminates his blade slightly (uses Cantrip)

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't quite know what it is," Imani admits as she follows after the others, leaving the poor donkey in the dark. "It doesn't seem to like the light though."