Episode 2

Elam leads the way down the hall. After a distance, it opens up into a wider chamber with higher ceilings. It is a long rectangular shape, with archways and doors on both sides. One main route goes left and another right, but Elam chooses neither, instead leading to one of the doors on the close wall.

Reaching to the keys he seized from Uburatu, he opens a heavy iron bound oak wood door. Inside: the armory.

To Kray and Thorn, the place is disappointing. It is a mess. The gear and weapons are laying about, not oiled, not organized, some gradually falling into disrepair because of simple neglect.

Yet still there is some good equipment here.

Elam also opens the next door over, which turns out to be a common room with a fire hearth, benches and couches and some cots.

"We can rest here, within these two rooms. And resupply," he points to the corner of the hall. There is a well there, a simple and clean cut hole in the ground with very little in the way of external structure. An overhang apparatus holds a bucket and rope. Several pots, bowls, and horns are stacked on a corner shelf, and even a trough is nearby.

"We must keep an eye both left and right," he points to the exiting halls on both ends of the large chamber.

"There we will travel next," he points to the left hall. "To the Snake Door, and behind it: The Pit. AND the Vault." He makes eye contact with Kray. "To confront Suter-Set and his Edimmu. There is the wealth that you seek, Kray Mercon."

"But for now," he nods, "We are safe enough." He motions to the well.

Namtur approaches Elam and says, "I am going after Naram. I will not delay long here."

Elam gives him a dead look and then says something brief in Otessite.

previously note="Jabes.plays.RPG"] "Namtur, we can deal with Naram when we find him. We do not know where he is. Suter-Set, however, is at The Pit and we know it. We need to stay together." [/note]

Namtur answers, speaking Heshbaan.The two men speak back and forth. To the Jeresians and Danneins, it is at best a one-sided conversation, as Elam speaks Otessite and Namtur speaks Heshbaan.

The interchange continues, with a detectable strife between the two. Elam's frustration becomes more apparent. Namtur is unbending and speaks coarsely in response.

Entering the armory, Bryn spots the bow and quiver quickly picking them up and looking around to see if anyone protests. He inspects the string and draws it, checking the tension. Finding a place to sit, Bryn throws his pack to the ground and tries to rest.

Bryn pulls out his tome and begins flipping the pages at a feverish pace.

Kray listened as Elam and Namtur argued, then interjected respectfully when an opening presented itself. Clearly, we have a problem." His tone was sincere as he made sure to address both men. "And this is not the time. Perhaps I can rectify the issue." It was a statement, not a question, Kray's subtle way of insisting.

Looking to facilitate some solution here. If translation help is needed, perhaps Bryn could help?

Kray's approach would be based on strength in unity, elaborating that Namtur's support increases the chances of success, not to Namtur's chance of success solo is zero.

Persuasion for the above, even if the roll is used after translation help.

EDIT: What a sweet ass roll on persuasion.

The whole thing unravels though. Namtur shuts it down and walks away, speaking at Bryn and Elam, closing with

Elam looks at Kray and then Bryn after Namtur walks away to the armory.He motions away, inviting these two over to the side away from the crowd and commotion.

Elam stops and stares curiously at Bryn. His expression changes to concern.Elam moves away to check with Iasu.

Thorn winces as Iasu does his work. He sees the exchange out of the corner of his eye between Elam, Namtur, Bryn, and Kray.

A sharp pain travels from his arm into his neck and chest and he sucks in his breath. When Iasu glances at him, he nods painfully, then gestures with his head toward the red devil man.

"How does he manage to look so good after just being nearly chopped in half?"

After a time, Elam pulls back together with the group...A review on background, general goals, and this time with a little more specifics than before

Down the hall to the left leads to the Snake Door. It is likely closed and bolted within and may have to be breached - either broken or burned.

Beyond that door is an ancient chamber. A place where Suter-Set, the Sorcerer, half-brother to Elam, Namtur, Iasu and all of the brothers - where Suter-Set and where Iz Jeddriss before him, and the Adriyalet Sorcerers before them, - have worked to summon the edimmu from the depths of the Underworld. The fly and crawl up from The Pit, an opening in the ground that sinks down into the earth, beyond the world, to another dark and horrible place where no man can go. Not alive at least.

The edimmu are spirits from another world, below the surface - away from the realm of living men. You have seen some of the edimmu already: the flyers, the mushussu (cloakers), Basz-durba (the great bug), the howler, the crawler. They are spirits. If they do not have a body of flesh their own, they are always working to claim and corrupt one here on the surface.

The edimmu are masters of magic. They bring power to those who deal with them. They whisper secrets and grant spells. Suter-Set though, like Iz Jeddriss, has been corrupted by the lure of power. He was driven mad and turned on the brothers. Tried to kill them. Trap them in the Adriyalet House instead of finding a way for them to escape. As it is already known, Elam and the Cursed want to put an end to Suter-Set, but they also want to figure out a way to escape.

Current Status given the losses of the battle

Elam is saddened by the loss of his brothers Akkeen and Adar-Malic. Also, they were the ones who knew the most about how to defeat Suter-Set's hexes over the Adriyalet House. They felt there was a way, with Suter-Set's defeat, that the Curse could be lifted and that the brothers could somehow escape their captivity within the house.

Now that the Twins are gone, Elam must admit, he is not exactly sure what is possible to beat the Curse. But what he does know is that nothing at all is possible until Suter-Set is defeated once and for all. Now Suter-Set is summoning more fiendish spirits all the time. On the prior night, the Korvarans, who cooperate with Suter-Set, Uburatu - brought more victims into the house. Ari Saleem was one of them. There were at least two, maybe three others. Elam and the Cursed tried to recover them, but were only successful with snatching Saleem, who is dead now. The others, Elam is convinced as were the twins, are being used as sacrifices. Offerings to powerful edimmu who have been whispering and luring Suter-Set in. Suter-Set is performing a séance, a wicked ritual of communion with powers and principalities of the Underworld. What Suter-Set will summon forth from the Pit, Elam does not know. But it will be terrible.

The Time Factor

That is why Elam is in a rush to press on. He knows that there is limited time. Suter-Set surely gets closer to completing more dark summonings as every hour passes.

Now this is why he presses for the group to move on.

The Payoff for the Risk

For The Cursed, the defeat of Suter-Set and a chance to escape the Adriyalet House is the prize. More than that, it is likely their very survival.

But Elam is aware that for the raiders, that is not necessarily a concern. And that is why Elam made this deal earlier. He knows that there is great wealth beyond the Snake Door, in the Vault. An ancient hold that the group found about two years ago. When all of the brothers were together, and when Suter-Set and the Twins worked together to discover great secrets, they opened the Vault. It was closed with Halonian bolts and hinges, plus it had magical locks as well. After centuries, millennium perhaps, Elam is unsure - the Vault of the past Kings of Gelshemish was opened.

Suter-Set still guards the Vault for his own selfish use. He bribes and manipulates in the city. He uses it to buy influence and spies. There is more gold than dreamt possible. More ancient cut stones and gems than could ever be seen before. Nonetheless, the treasure has been trapped here - guarded by a mad Sorceror, his brainwashed pawns, and an army of beasts and demons. And with the Cursed, even if they could get their hands on it, they cannot leave the Palace without dying.

Opportunity and Assessment

Elam knew that the road would be tough, heavy losses have been incurred. Injuries have fallen. But at the same time, Suter-Set's defenses are decimated.
The Hounds. All gone.
The Howler. Defeated.
The spider-men hybrids. The gaunt thralls. Basz durba. The Crawler. The spiders. The cloakers. All slain.
The Flyers have withdrawn to hiding. With any good fortune, they may have flown back into the Pit.
And Suter-Set's loyalists: Uburatu, Balis, Nabua, Eumash. They have all fallen. Uburatu was the backbone of the whole operation. With him gone, Suter-Set is a isolated frail shell - holing up in his final chamber.

Only Naram is unaccounted for. Naram is a master of beasts, but now a master of nothing. Since the Howler left his side, Elam wonders if he might already be dead. If not he is likely in hiding. Naram is smart, and no zealot to die for a cause. He knows better than to stand in the way. Elam believes that Naram is no threat and will do whatever it takes to save his own skin.
He is elusive, but no threat.

So...

Now Elam believes that the time is right. They are so close. If only they can push on a bit further, face down the villain who orchestrated this entire tragedy, then you Northmen can leave here with more treasure than you could ever imagine.

And the brothers Cursed will have a chance at least to live and perhaps seek a new life of freedom.

"A benefit of our devil blood." Iasu murmurs without looking up from his work. There's no point dissembling about it now - if they haven't figured it out yet, they soon will. "I do not possess the unnatural healing, but I have other...quirks."

"Do you think your commander will decide for you to stay with us?" the physician continues to murmur just loud enough for Thorn. There is no pleading in his voice, only a question.