The Arwich Grinder

"Can you tell us anything more... where is the Master? What manner of monsters are these Curwens?" Victoria was trying to hold back her tone for threat or frenzy, while inside she felt the stirring of the most primal of fears. She did not like the sound of any of these wretched creatures' answers, let alone his speech. It seems to only get worse.

Lorna meanwhile keeping silent, tried to gather these breadcrumbs as best they could. Salts, magic tables, cattlemen, and fantastical aberrations. It was sickening in its intrigue.

Ever the observer, Beladil, watches with interest but has nothing to say. Leaning upon their staff as they contemplate.

Slim Jim was starting out into the continuing tunnel, listening for movement, each second wasted allowing their foes more time to prepare. "Just haul him out already, we need to move. Flee if you must, but if you have the mind tell us where we can find you Master." Unlike Victoria, Jim's voice drips with threat, as much as he was a doomed man ready to kill to stop a terrible future.

Slim nods and pushes forward, torch in one hand and sword at the ready. Having grabbed an ax to wield and put the small dagger away, Victoria kept Lorna near the middle, who recovered her bullets and was keeping an eye out for anything better to use. The bookish woman was thinking upon the words of the Wretched, discussing them softly with those who were interested. Pa Curwen seemed to be using some process to alter people. Some into cattle for meat, but some to breed what can only be described as monsters. Inbreeding alone can't explain what they have seen, and while she was not a superstition sort if he is truly wielding dark magicks these 'salts' may be the key. Beladil concurs with the reasoning, silently.

Slim heads to the door to cover and listens, letting the other handle any investigation. With a smile, he urges the Duri to stay close, but out of angle for Jasen and Josen to cover each door, with Beladil and whoever was left covering the archers. Trying his best to keep the scared villagers ready and with whatever tactics they could muster.

Victoria looked over the equipment and table, while Lorna was drawn to the notebook to read its cover or otherwise seek the first page.

The simple leatherbound notebook serves as a diary of sorts, used by grandpa Ike Curwen for his alchemical and arcane research. As Lorna quickly skims through the pages, it is clear that the man has been looking into how to achieve immortality. The last passage is especially disturbing.

"Adding the sacrificial ritual before extracting the salts from the herdsmen has proven to greatly increase their effectiveness. The Wretches I have administered the new salts upon show unending regeneration capabilities, to the point of them being indestructible by anything but fire.
Their vitality plummeted - perhaps try countering it next time with a Red bower? If all else fails, a soulstone or two should do the trick. KEEP THE FORMULA FOR THE SALTS - YOU ARE CLOSE."

Inside a compartment within the desk, there are two additional notebooks. One describes Sliggeth, an ancient god of Chaos and Cannibalism, whose relic the Curwens kept inheriting for generations. His great onyx cup is apparently in the Onyx room of the Grinder - his ancient shrine, upon which the Curwen family built its homestead.

The other notebook is a collection of notes from the days of Ike's youth, when he travelled the world in search of it's secrets.

Victoria takes her dagger out and makes a few cuts into the leather straps, while Lorna reads. "Fascinating..." Lorna gasps the word, absorbing what she could. She would take these with her, for surely they were proof of the righteousness of their deeds. Victoria comes back to check with Lorna and they nod to one another after pointing out a passage, and they gather the notebooks together.

"We'd better go..." Ready at the door, he motions Duri to open the door, and with the others covering they would continue forward with care.

The Grinder BelowOrobu: Slim, Victoria, Lorna, Beladil
Esidrix: Dewane, Wyna, Jasen, Josen
Redwhippet: Duri, Vyncent, Odric, Riffin
Dsquid: Tiny, Kari, Mother Breadwife, Cynwe, Walt

The group enters a large cavern lit by phosphorescent worms lining the ceiling, creating a sort of a fairyland sky. Shadows move in the dim light, creating fantasque imagery on the walls. A moment of peace and wonder passes over everyone and townsfolk have a moment to breathe and calm their nerves.
"Wooow."
Wretch, still hidden behind Dewane, watches the ceiling in awe, finally having a nice moment in far too long a time.

---

Sooner or later, the group has to continue. The cave leads down south, through a gentle slope, and is covered in the stink of unwashed bodies. As the group proceeds, they start hearing sounds that cut deep into their souls.

Wordless gibbering and cries of pain, accompanied by moans of hunger. This is where the Very Large Men came from, this is their Hell on Earth.
There are tens of them here, they would in fact easily outnumber the group 2 to 1. They huddle in the dark, trying to get away from the light's cruel touch, almost as if they knew its arrival meant pain and suffering. Walls and floor is covered in slops - waste from both vegetable and their brethren.

The townsfolk now realize that the escaped man was one of the more normal ones - centuries of inbreeding have created microcephalic creatures with almost swinish features.

There are two exits from here - one on the western end of the cave and another one leading down and to the south. A faint light is coming from the second one.