Episode 2

previously note="jabes.plays.rpg"]
OOC: unfortunately yes. Legs still bound.

That makes Movement Rate at 1/3 normal.

These things are unbreakable by normal strength. The would have to be cut off with a file, or peeled away by something with tremendous supernatural strength.[/note]

previously note="DMJ"]
Yuors. More of Kray Mercon's men? Best not to chance it. Though Iasu's vision is swimming from the bloodletting and the poison, old instincts kick in. His feet are still bound by the Small Irons, but he can still move somewhat. He might even be able to fight if it came to that. If he only had his bow! Worming his way to a better hiding spot, Iasu tries to catch a glimpse of the Yuors.

OOC: Oops, I'm sorry, I failed to set the 2nd roll to Hide Everything. [/note]

previously note="jabes.plays.rpg"]
Iasu moves off of the stone platform and does the best he can to hide in a small patch of brush that has grown up around the base of the rock formation, on the side of the tallest stone. He reaches out and pulls up another gather of shrubbery further away, uprooting it quickly and draping it over himself in a desperate effort to camouflage.

Four Korvaran soldiers walk forward, approaching the stone altar arrangement and carrying torches. They are armed with gladiuses. They wear armor cuirasses, grieves, helmets, and heavy sandals. The foreign soldiers who are in liege with the Sar.

They speak in Yuoric as they scan through.

"I heard something. Something loud. Like stone moving." one soldier says.

They circle around the area - searching.

One is dressed like a commander, a veteran fighter. His eyes are sharp and thoughtful. Alert.


[/note]

previously note="jabes.plays.rpg"]
Stealth Success.The veteran squad leader passes by, but a younger soldier comes right up to Iasu holding the torch within 3 or 4 feet of him. The Korvaran's eyes though are drawn to the stone, not the vegetation growing at its base.

"What is this old rock?" the younger soldier asks.

The answer comes from the veteran, who has already circled to the other side. "Sacrifice," he says confidently. "Human sacrifice."

After a pause he talks further, speaking out to the rest of the group as they all look on and move slowly about the area.

"These Heshes are civilized now, but not always. Long ago, they were savages just like the rest of the east world. As bad as the Dannies I'm sure. All of these oilers come from savages if you go far enough back."

Iasu watches as another soldier comes by and almost looks right at him, but then walks on.

"Come on," says the veteran. "We loop back to the main structure. Hirch, Oloman, you two set up a route on the north. Agust, you are with me. We'll set up at that old well on the south courtyard. Everyone be ready. Eyes peeled. Word is: General Acastus is on his way. Another half assembly. If we find Mercon and his Danny goons before everyone gets here, that would be a paid award for us. I'm sure of it."

A short pause. Iasu sees the young soldier fidgeting with his sandal wraps.

"Right then. Move out." , says the veteran.

"Yes, Sargent," say the other Korvarans, and then all of them move away, taking the light of the torches with them.

Iasu lies in the brush at the base of the stone altar that is the Small Irons Gate.

Nausea. Pain. The poison begins to overtake him.

His vision falls away to darkness.

Delayed onset poison damage. Iasu moves to negative HPs and must begin Death Saves.

Required Action, Iasu: make a whole series of Death Saves. Move forward until you get 3 for Life or 3 for Death. [/note]

THE CURSED HQ

Before everyone can gather to react to the quick opening and shutting of the look-through port, a loud clang rings out as the interior bolt of the door is thrown. Another crack and scrape as the heavy metal banded oakwood door swings open.

Inside the threshold, hand on the door, stands Sizhen Lord Lao, the Alijanian who carried the title of "Inspector," who had been left behind here at the Cursed's sanctuary after being stricken dumb and fallen unresponsive by what Iasu had called "Depth Sickness."



Sizhen still does not look himself in full capacity. His stare is somewhat dull. He is not taunt at his normal alertness. He has no weapons in hand.

But he stares forward, squinting at Kray. There seems to be some recognition judging by his expression.

"Mercon...", Lao says.

The Alijanian blinks and squints his eyes, as if pressing something out of his head manually.

He backs up to invite Kray to enter.

previously note="DMJ"]
Death saves. SUCCESS! Oh fuck, I forgotto hide the last one! :-( You wanna just delete the post?[/note]

"Make sure the tubule is in his vein. I do not want him slipping away." A woman's voice. Melodic.

Iasu cannot see. He hears with difficulty. Fleeting, blurry voices.

A pain in his neck.

"He is moving! There, he's moving." the beautiful voice again.

"I have it, Mother. Cease your worry and fret." another female voice. This one is stern. Terse. "The blood is in. Simush will live. As for whether or not...."

Iasu fades out to the darkness again.

The group moves into the secured area and begins an exchange with Sizhen Lao.Sizhen's mental status from the sickness:
He's not all there, and he knows so himself. His mental alertness comes and goes, and is very troubling to him. He can be working for a while and then he just drops out unexpectedly. He does though tend to do best when he is continuously engaged, responding to questions or being kept on task. It is a bit weird, but it seems to get better as the conversation continues.

What he has been doing:
This place is good on protection and security, but without the keys and tool set, it is still a prison in many ways. Sizhen has manipulated some of the locks to get some mobility, but before the group returned he could not get completely out of the section on his own. The lock mechanism Kray opened only worked from the other side, the interior side had a shutter that was closed off to block access to the interiors of the latch. So he has been doing what he can to explore the rooms he has had access to.

The elevator:
Sizhen knows that the main entrance to the level is by use of the hand crank, counterbalanced elevator. It is open now, but the controls for the crank shaft is locked behind a shudder box, so the entire apparatus to operate the system is closed off. Elevator could not work. Now though, the elevator is an option and in fact the known way out of here, as it moves from the ground level to this first level of subterranean floors. Kray quickly confirms, he has a copy of the key that can open the space where the fulcrum can be inserted and the wheel and pulley system can be accessed and activated.

The secret panel, under a false cabinet, under a false floor panel:
In the extensive searching, and using his outstanding deductive reasoning and detection of clues (he is an Inquisitive after all), Sizhen was able to find a false floor in a cabinet that revealed some coin. A decoy though, because then under that, there was an extremely well-designed false stone panel in the floor itself. Sizhen has removed that now, found it trapped, removed the trap, and now is stuck because it has an expert lock. His pick lock attempts have failed, but it is soon found that Kray has two keys that go into the ports. This false floor can be opened. Sizhen believes that it must be a hiding place, or a safe, to store something of great importance.

Sizhen as a help to get out of the city (Gelshemish) and then out of the country (Heshba):
Short answer: Yes. He will help everyone get out of the city. If what Kray and the others say is true, Sizhen too feels like it is time to get out of the area. He will lend all powers, connections, expertise he has. He has some contacts and some ideas already. Plan would have to be fluid, dealing with what is possible after he consults with contacts, but any exfil route he thinks would involve leaving through the Jara Hili (forest) on unconventional routes, most likely either west into Kortella or south into the Bishtaan communities, depending on how much discretion is necessary and what options are available once Sizhen sees the disposition of his contacts within the city.

Resources:
There is food, water, supplies, some weaponry here. If you want something, name it - in most cases it will be in play as long as its not something really strange or inappropriate for the location/circumstance. Can be somewhat of a resupply, but remember we are going full realism on encumbrance, carry, appearances. Keep in mind things like speed, stealth, hiding, trying to keep low profile, etc. Those could have effects that will be taken into effect, depending on how this exfil goes. The rest of the city populace is in a religious observance set of days. (No more masks though. The black with masks was for the previous day, called Ruet.)

"There you are, Simush," the sultry, beautiful voice. "You are coming back to me now," she says.

Iasu can hear first. He hears the shuffling of a couple of people. The voices are going in and out.

"...put it away. Leave it outside, so that when..."

"...back now. It is enough. Do not add more."

There are two voices. Both women.

A tug and sting in his neck. Then pressure. Something pressing on the left side of his neck.

When he opens his eyes, all of the world is a blur. He concentrates to pull it in. It is a woman. Not choking him, tending to him. Perhaps tending a wound, applying pressure?

He smells burning incense. The smoke fills his nostrils. Burns in his throat, a bit. The air is thick.

Now he can see the woman. She is looking at him, as if inspecting. He feels the application of some paste. Sticky. It must be a sealant or coagulant.

She has thick dark hair. She squints and peers into his eyes, pulling his top and bottom eyelids open with one hand.



She moves a bright lantern close to his face with the other hand, suddenly. Iasu flinches at the light. When he clinches his eyes shut she lets him go and moves away.

He squirms to sit up. He is on a bed, wearing a soft wool smock shirt. Blankets cover his legs.

His hand reaches up instinctively. His shoulder! The wound. It was overwhelming. Is it still there? The pain?

It is gone now. He feels a scar, but the wound is closed. His shoulder is loose and mobile.

The irons on his legs! He feels down. They are gone.

He looks outward - still disoriented.

A small room. Light shining through from the edges of the wood siding. A simple room, a dwelling of a laborer or craftsman.

Three people.

The attendant woman. She wears a soft, rose-colored dress.

A sturdy looking man. He has a handled tool of some sort, in his hand.


And then her.

She turns after putting something away. Her face comes into focus and she walks towards him.

She is beautiful beyond words. Her voice is something that he wants like a parched man wants water from a well.



"Are you awake now, Simush?" she asks. She walks right up to him, her soft delicate hands are on the sides of his face.

Her eyes are like the sky.

"I am proud to see you. It has been so long, my dear. I have missed you so, SO very much." She speaks with passion.

Required Action, Iasu: WIS Save. DC 16.

She presses her lips against his. A long, slow kiss. Her hands still holding his face lovingly.

Pulling back and peering into his eyes, she smiles.

It is like the sunrise.

"I knew it would be you."

THE CURSED HEADQUARTERS

Kray opens the false floor cover. Sizhen and Ryhim help him bring forth what is inside.

Four leather backpacks.
Four leather shoulder bags.
Each packed to the fullest and cinched tight for carry.
Gold coins. Loose gems. Jewelry. Artistic ornaments and high-crafted decors.
Eight full bags. Each of them, enough wealth for more than a lifetime of luxury.
Together, they are a treasure trove fit for a King.

More wealth than any man here has ever seen in one place.

Elam's Gold.

The Treasure of the Cursed.

Here for the taking.