After everyone has had a chance to examine it, Hildigrim returns the scroll to its case and extends it toward Vanja. "Perchance Mrs. Brinarei might be able to read it, but until we return to the cottage, as the wielder of the arcane among our quartet, why don't you hold on to this."

Vanja cringes a bit at Hildigrim's words.

"Well, my magic isn't actually arcane in nature...I think it's a much older tradition than that...but I can understand your logic."

She accepts the scroll to hold onto for now, stowing it in her pack.

(If we think we've found all there is to see here, maybe go back, straight across the blood room, and explore the east wing?)

“...the blood room...” :)

Hildigrim halts in his movement at Vanja's words. "I apologize if I misspoke," the halfling says, not sounding sorry — more matter-of-fact. "What do you mean by 'older tradition'?"

Jorin claps Hildigrim on the back, "There will be plenty of time for that, Hildi, but we are in a torture dungeon now, probably best to keep moving.  Lets head back to the blood room and into the east hallway."

OOC > Kids off to school, morning meeting, then a reply...

Hildigrim grins up at Jorin, a slight look of disappointment in his eyes. He grins at Vanja. "Certainly," he chuckles. He turns and moves back to the center room and then to the east room as Jorin suggested, his eyes looking for anything of note.

Investigation: 22

OOC > O to the MG with the rolling! Wow. :)

The group moves back through the slaughter room and down the eastern passage. It turns sharply north, into much the same sort of storage room as the previous one, although this one seems as humid as the rest of the dungeon (the last storage room was drier), with glistening walls and dank air. As with the other storeroom, this one also contains debris from shelves, boxes, crates, earthenware, etc. Looking for the obvious, Hildigrim (and the others, really) easily spot another patch of slimy green mold on the ceiling inside the room.

OOC > The full map was getting unwieldy to post every time, so there's a link to it if you like, and a partial map pasted below.

Map: (link to full map)

When the others are safely back and prepared, Drusk shares the "sunshine of Lliira's love" with mister mold. (Casts Sacred Flame on the ceiling stain.)

Jorin rummages around the debris as he did in the last room.  Investigation:  9

Lliira’s love has the same effect on this slimy mold as it did on the last one, blasting it out of existence. Jorin pokes around but finds nothing.

Jorin thinks to himself, hmmm, perhaps i should stick with axing rather than investigating.

Whoever investigates the crates next (Vanja or  Hildigrim) will get Guidance from Drusk.

Hildigrim waits patiently for Drusk to clear the mold, then begins investigating the debris for anything of interest.

Investigation: 21

Guidance: 4

OOC: Interesting.

OOC > With a 26 Hildigrim finds Amelia Earhart. Sheesh. :)

Hildigrim stands for a moment in the center of the room, looking about the debris as Jorin pushes stuff aside with his axe. Then the halfling unerringly walks to one of the decomposing crates, kneels down, and withdraws another scroll tube.

When the end is popped open, the scroll inside is intact, but also unreadable to anyone in the group.

After some more searching, nothing else of value is turned up. You really haven't found any signs of life in this entire dungeon. Just strange, slimy fungus. And lots of bones. And old blood.

Drusk suggests (1) head back to the blood torture room, (2) have Hildi check for traps (with Guidance) before crossing the threshold to the north corridor, and (3) head north, taking the branch to the west.

Hildigrim passes the new scroll tube to Vanja as well and does as Drusk says, heading north, then west.

Investigation: 22

Guidance: 3

As the party leaves the room, everyone hold on a sec...

As you turn to leave, Hildigrim hands the scroll case to Vanja, and he and Drusk speak in low tones about moving on to the north corridor. Vanja exits the room into the short hallway, Drusk and Hildigrim are in the threshold, at the turn, and Jorin is last to leave, still hopefully kicking an old crate.

From out of nowhere, Drusk lets out a howl and puts a hand to his head in pain. Nothing has leapt out of a corner or dropped from the ceiling or come rushing around the bend, but Drusk is in sudden and intense pain.

Round 1 - vs. the headache monster(s) - Declaration phase!

Whatever it is has gotten the drop on you, and in Concurrent Initiative, that means it got to declare and act before any of you, because you were implicitly Delaying. It has taken its action now, and you may now declare your actions. As a quick reminder, that means you tell me what your character intends to do in the next six seconds, you roll for those actions, and you also give me an initiative roll, just in case. Then I resolve it (cinematically!). Here's the long version: https://www.dndbeyond.com/campaigns/277586

Drusk, before you declare, please make an Intelligence saving throw.

Map: