Episode VII: The Echoes of Torment

Dago and Sarya join forces to fight the torturer and his aide
Previous Episode VI: The Belly of the Gryphon	Next Episode VIII: Veils of Deception

The Echoes of Torment is the seventh episode of the Trials of the Forgotten Relics campaign. The party enters a torture room and battles the torturer and his aide, interrogating the prisoners to reveal an scary truth.

Synopsis

Recap

In the previous session, you embarked on a quest to find Chloe Rowen, a young wizard, who had vanished after assisting you in exploring the catacombs beneath the temple of Waukeen in hope of finding the truth behind her pursuers and attackers. Your investigation led you to confront and defeat a group of strange individuals, cultists like, in the catacombs, where they discovered a mysterious letter that hinted at their possible headquarters. You were joined by Captain Grendar Ironkith, Chloe’s adoptive father, who came to you during your stay at the Enchanted Chalice Tavern and together you came to the conclusion to probe into the activities at the Golden Gryphon tavern for further clues.

Heeding Wintson's advice you choose an unconventional approach, and opted not to enter the tavern directly. Instead, you navigated through the sewers and, after a bit of adventure in the slime and grime of the sewers, you found yourselves in what appeared to be the basement of the tavern. Your journey there was immediately met with peril, as you encountered and fought off several mimics disguised as innocuous objects.

However the noise and commotion of the battle with the mimics did not go unnoticed. During the fighting you seem to have attracted the attention of certain individuals in the adjoining room, but Ed the brilliant idea to temporarily block the door just before the door opened. You now find yourselves on the tense situation, with the hope that whatever you find here it will lead you closer to finding Chloe.

The torturer and the brute

As the adventurers prepare to finish the last mimic, they hear the door opening and they hear a frightening male voice yelling from beyond the newly erected barrier by Mother: "What is this?" The barrier does not hold for too much time, but enough for the group to prepare for the incoming new enemies pouring into the chamber. As the barrier crumbles, a massive orc figure, steps in, with his large size and aggressive behavior pointing to added enhancements to his physicality. Beyond him, the party can see a torture chamber with many devices and sharp instruments used to question and extract information from its subjects. The torturer, a human covered in red skin, either from extreme exposure to the darkness or covered in blood, looks at the group angrily for disturbing his interrogations.

The fight continues with the massive brute dangling his chains and exchanging blows with Dago and Mother, while the torturer assists from behind. During the fight another door in the torture room opens, revealing to be Sarya, who took an alternate route to reach the group. The adventurers finally manage to cut the brute down, not without receiving some damage, and they corner the torturer to the wall. Sarya casts Web to immobilize the torturer, but Dago and Mother also get stuck in it, unable to get to him. Desperate and with fury in his eyes, the torturer, gets some vials from the nearby table and throws them on floor, causing a massive explosion the further damages the group. The torturer and one prisoner found on the racks behind him o limp and fall unconscious, but the party's quick reflexes manages to stabilize both of them.

More questions than answers

Sarya confirms that they indeed are in the basement of the Golden Gryphon Tavern’s, and the group starts to look around for clues and answers. They see an individual trapped in a cage, bruised and battered. This individual, grabbing the iron bars with both hands, asks the adventurers for his lute, but suspecting foul play from him, they refuse to give it to him. The individual, claiming to be a bard, insists in vain, but weirdly enough he does not seem to be interested in escaping this place, which solidified the group's suspicion. They decide to leave him there.

Investigating the torture chamber, they find many scrolls and potions used by the torturer to interrogate and torture his victims, as well as a journal describing a foul experiment performed by the torturer on a certain Gornak Thunderaxe, a famous orc, a known hero and adventurer. The journal details his capture, torture, experimentation on and his transformation into a subservient abomination. The party also finds a letter on the body of dead guard on a torture chair. The letter says:

M'Lady Elara, I regret to inform you that recent developments have led to my removal from the case we've dedicated so much to. My collaboration with General Fenlee, who has now been found guilty of treason, has cast a shadow over my involvement, regardless of my intentions or loyalty to our cause. This has left me in a precarious position, as any association with him now questions one's allegiance. I will continue to work in whatever capacity I can to support our cause, albeit from the shadows for now. Your guidance and extensive knowledge regarding the cult's operations during this turbulent time would be invaluable. With steadfast loyalty, Flint Bramblethorn

Not much other information can be found and the group starts to hear steps in the ceiling, in the room above and muffled voices. Deciding that it's time to leave, they quickly pack up, pick the unconscious bodies of the torturer and the prisoner on racks and prepare to leave. In the final moments in the chamber, Ed picks the keys from the torturer and throws them to the bard in the cage.

Featured characters

The adventurers

• Ed
• Dago
• Wintson
• Elinor
• Sarya
• Mother

Other characters

• Maerek: a torturer of the cult.
• Gornak: a massive orc brute.
• Caelum Windstride: a book collector, captured by the cult (his name not mentioned yet).
• The bard: A prisoner found in a cage.
• Madame Elara Mistral (mentioned).
• Inspector Flint Bramblethorn (mentioned).