Orgoth continues to watch through a slim gap in the door with
Berric, trying to discern the patrolling
Flagstone Golem that seems to have some ability to morph into the very flagstone tiles of the floor and submerged under them except for its shark like dorsal, 'swimming' in the following passage. You can see it come up to your door, uncomfortably close, you might think it would even go under the door and into the wider hallway but it doesn't. Either it hasn't perceived your presence or it is restricted to a guarding a certain area.
You haven't heard anything from Sven or Penelope and know nothing of their encounter in the side crypts. While you wait, others search about, checking those bodies under the rubble and testing the floors and walls for other surprises, but none are found. You wait patiently ...
Meanwhile
Sven, visible since casting the
Sleep spell, talks with
Bertrand.
The sleepers are left asleep,
Smokie, who can turn invisible at will, can guard over them, the brigand leader seemingly unconcerned though about his docile crew. His other three men are in the second crypt, checking over some scribbled maps and leathery scrolls; one looks through a lens, similar to those used by Gir Hurwen at the Rosy Quartz, appraising a gem they have found.
“I could tell you what I know, maybe help you out with any magic I can offer. If you would tell us how you got in here. You must know of an entrance nearby.”
"Let me keep some knowledge as 'professional secrets'." Bertrand says, reluctant to disclose too much. He does share though that the Set aligned cultists lurk over to the east,
"they come and go from the sunken barrow to the north." He figures that you, he and they all know of different entrances, assuming you are not either Set, Orcus or Nergal cult aligned. He wonders at your Impurax beak facemask and the Minotaur skull that is slung over your shoulder as these are obvious items of interest or design. But he doesn't make any specific remark about your adventures.
Confessing you are teleported here and merely seeking a way out as a group he wishes you well in that endeavour, but doesn't offer up his entrance as a way out, wishing to keep that secret still.
The Set barrow and maze entrance is to the north but access to that area is through secret doors that he hasn't found yet and he assumes you have not either. It seems the cultists do not linger in that northern area, rather they base themselves in old crypts and sanctuaries to the east.
"The northern corridors are haunted, they explore for some relic. Occasionally we cross paths."
He knows of the wider hallway where Orgoth is but has not gone further into that area,
"it gave his men the creeps, some wandered off, never to be seen again."
He has come to explore this area, convinced that certain treasures lie within, using pieced together ancient scripts to guide them. His mention of 'crossing paths' with cultists can allude to either conflict or trade.
Observing, you can see his group are not geared towards consolidating any portion of maze, they look to be more an outfit suited to raiding a few crypts, retreating with any treasures, rinse & repeat. He has heard of but never met other 'outfits', if you named Fenrice and the Barghests or Sylvester and group from Bogtown. He has heard tavern songs about 'Squires', knows the dwarves delve in a secret excavation and has had trouble crossing the Barrow Moor from lizardmen groups.
He gestures towards a fisted gauntlet that animates, floating over to slap and poke each sleeper awake.
"Helping Hands, ever useful. That one was once a Sgt-Major in the Corps. Sadly all that remains."
Actions any more questions or comments?
As to the current situation, he confesses that the 'Flaggies' present a problem to both groups, suggesting that working together might enable you both to overcome and continue in separate ways.