Olaerys hears the words and takes damage from the shaking ground, now not so sure of himself.  

Charisma check : 19 

He is not panicking, but after considering the situation, he wonders about leaving the area.  "Uhhh, let's gather that fellow back there and head back to town, question him further and then come back if we need to, what do you think?"  He draws back and discusses with Shrek, Randall and Melchor.  

OOC: ummm, Shrek has a 8 charisma….this isn’t gonna be pretty.

Shrek’s CHA check: 3

Shrek literally let’s out a scared yelp, turns on his heels, and runs out of the cave/room.

Just as Olaerys begins to speak up, Shrek mumbles “uh uh…no  way….Shrek scared!” and continues to run to the far side of the room, where he cowers in silence. 

“Guys I just don’t know what to think.  This has been such a wild couple of days - huh?  Who are you guys talking to?”

17

 “…Yeah.  Yeah, let’s get out of here.”

Olaerys doesn't need much encouragement, he beats a hasty retreat out of the room, points to Baragustas on the table, "What'll we do about him?  Shrek, can you carry a big piece of "mail"?"

Shrek looks up from cowering in the corner, hearing his name being called above his audible shivering...he immediately springs into action with a "Right boss..." and hustles over to the table and heaves the limp body of Baragustas over his shoulder, and beats a hasty retreat along with the rest of the group out of the cave.

"What did you guys see in that room?  Who was behind that voice?" Randall asks as he joins the others in retreating.

(OOC: Sorry for lack of posting - been a bit under the cosh since work restarted)

(4 Charisma check - rolled on game log automatically)

Melchor flinches back from the booming voice, stepping further back from Shrek and Olaerys.

'I fear we are unequal to this adversary. We must fall back...' he says, face gone more pale than usual...

Carrying the unconcious Baragustas back out of the tunnels,  you emerge into light; morning has come while you were inside.  You find Albeiri Mellikho, the quarry owner, bent over the dead body of the fallen 'watcher' nervously.  Seeing you emerge, he seems startled but recovers quickly. "What are you doing in my quarry?! Trespassers!  I did not grant you permission to skulk around here and enter my tunnels! You murdered this man didn't you? Harburk will see you hang...."

He stops talking suddenly as he spies Baragustas being carried like a sack of potatoes.

"Baragustas? Was he the murderer then? Have you apprehended him for me? I still do not appreciate you trespassing on my property but in light of your service I will decline to mention it to Harburk. What was he doing in there? It's nothing but an abandoned supply tunnel."

“Nope there’s a little more to it than that.  Go in and have a look!  We were just on our way back to town…”. Olaerys turns to the others, “Ready to go?  After you, my good man Shrek -“

Obviously confused with Mellikho, Shrek stands there dumbfounded, trying to understand the situation when Olaerys beckons him to continue on. Happy to have some direction, he nods and continues hiking towards town, letting Randall handle the talking.

"A supply tunnel.  Of course.  And I'm sure you have no idea, Albeiri, about the cult of stone worshippers working down there.  Delvers?  Larrahk the prophet?  None of that ring any bells, right?"  Randall's disposition is turning from shock to disgruntlement.  "No bother.  We will bring all this before the town and sort this out in the light of day.  If there really are secret puppetmasters controlling Red Larch, let them show themselves."

"Shrek, can you also manage to grab that corpse and his mask?  If not, would you help me with it, Olaerys?"

Nodding approval, Shrek stows his halberd and throws the corpse over his other shoulder. Eager to show his worth to the team, he’s definitely in his element, ready to deliver the two humanoids (one unconscious, one dead) to his new boss. 

Melchor deliberately stays in the background, keeping alert in case they're followed from the tunnels, but also looking for any sign of duplicity from Albeiri...

(Insight: 15)

Olaerys nods and then smiles as Shrek picks up both.  “Let’s get out of here.”

Quote from JorvikDave >>

Melchor deliberately stays in the background, keeping alert in case they're followed from the tunnels, but also looking for any sign of duplicity from Albeiri...

(Insight: 13)

Alberi Mellikho comes across as decidedly nervous

Mellikho blusters loudly as you walk away. "Are you accusing me of foul play? I never! I have no idea of anything you are talking about!"

As you approach the town square, Constable Harburk spies you coming, and approaches you swiftly. As he spots Shrek, and the bodies over his shoulder, he bursts into words. 

"What is going on here? Did you kill that man? Is that Baragustas? Is *he* dead too? Speak! I'll arrest the lot of you otherwise!"

Randall steps up to Harburk.  "We've just come from the quarry.  Kaylessa had told us about the quarry workers' concerns about strange happenings."

"This man," he points to the corpse, "attacked us with a crossbow.  When we cornered him, he shouted something about a prophet judging him harshly if he betrayed his cult, and he threw himself from the ledge of the quarry."

"Confused and concerned, we explored the quarry and found some old passages down a supply tunnel.  We were attacked by a half orc and some other warriors inside who all claimed to be part of this cult.  We killed them.  It was then we encountered Baragustas here.  He told us we were meddling with forces we don't understand, and that a secret society - of which he is a member - controls Red Larch.  He said they serve a prophet they call Larrakh and that he helps them read stones and predict the future.  He said much of the town is part of this cult.  I say he is crazy, but we did run into a powerful mage or other magic user in the tunnels and we had to flee.  So we brought the body and Baragustas here back to town.  I want answers.  I have lived here my whole life and I refuse to believe a cult of rock worshipping lunatics has been controlling my home."

"That is our story, Harburk."  (If necessary, persuasion: 13)  "Oh.  And we encountered Mellikho on our way out of the tunnels.  He denied any knowledge of what was happening under the quarry."

Harburk looks at you like you are mad. "That's a pretty colorful tale lad, but you aren't one to make something like that up, and I imagine you brought Baragustas here to back it up. Is anyone else hurt? Let's wake him up and see what he has to say."

Gesturing Shrek to put Baragustas down, Harburk walks over to the town well and gets a pail of water that he promptly splashes in Baragustas' face.

"Baragustas you old fool, start speaking. It sounds like you have a lot to say and I mean to hear it all. "

Baragustas spills everything, explaining how some of the elders called themselves the Believers and catered to moving stones in the tunnel below, the tomb of the 'Delvers'. Specifically he implicates Albeiri Mellikho, Ilmauth Waevur, and a few other respected town elders.

"Larrakh and his friends showed up 3 months ago. At first he was just helping us interpret the stones but he demanded obedience and forced folks to do terrible deeds. He had this magical dagger, and began demanding sacrifices and donations. He was trying to get people to join this cult and follow some prophet. He kept talking about the power of the earth and how they were going to reshape the world.

I am ashamed that I didn't put a stop to it, but I didn't partake. I was afraid Mellikho would kill me if I said anything, and I didn't want to risk offending the Delvers. We need them! They talk to us with the stones!"

Harburk's eyes go wide as the tale unfolds, in disbelief equal to Randall's.

"I fear it will take weeks to get all the answers on this. If even half of this is true, I am shocked and appalled. Randall, you and your friends have done us a great service. I can't offer much as reward, but I will make it so you have a hard time spending money here. As you know, folks listen to me, and I'll make it clear to all we are in your debt."

As Baragustas weaves his tale of woe, you notice that Shrek (normally a happy-go-lucky dumb galoot) appears to be getting angrier and angrier.  You get the feeling that something is changing deep down within his soul...something a little more dreadful.  Perhaps he's growing more disdainful of the town, and the peoples who run the town?

OOC: Barbarian Path of the Berserker primal path...Shrek is turning into the Hulk.  Hulk ANGRY!

Ok! Were back. Sorry about the delay.

Melchor, you identify the dagger as follows:

It is a +1 dagger and doesn’t make noise when it hits or cuts something.

The name “Reszur” is graven on the dagger’s pommel. If the wielder speaks the name, the blade gives off a faint, cold glow, shedding dim light in a 10-foot radius until the wielder speaks the name again.