Alinis, try as she might, is unable to find any sign of the two half-elves. Seemingly, they have covered their tracks well...
Pushing open the double doors to the south, entering a large room. Four malachite pillars support the 20-foot-high ceiling of this grand chamber. Hanging from an iron brace mounted near the top of each pillar is a cylindrical iron cage containing a giant beetle that sheds an infernal orange light. Two hobgolbins flank the door just opened. They jump back, baring their weapons.
The southern half of the chamber rises 5 feet, and a wide black staircase leads up to the raised floor. Just past the top of the stairs, an 8-foot-tall iron post erupts from the floor. Iron shackles hang from the top of the post, secured to which are three children--a dwarf boy and two human girls. Five narrow windows carved into the south wall stand open to the darkness beyond.
A 5-foot-tall muscular figure clad in black plate armor stands on the staircase, his face hidden behind a visor. In one gauntlet, he clutches a wicked dwarven urgrosh. In the other, he grasps a chain ending in an iron ring clamped around a human boy's neck. Behind him, crouched at the top of the stairs, looms a slavering, bestial hound bristling with quills.
The black-clad knight is haggling with a creature that looks like an ash-skinned dwarf with sharply pointed ears and yellow eyes. He wears robes encrusted with mold. He holds out a bone box filled with coins, and looks at you with utter disgust.
The black-clad figure turns sharply towards you. "Who are you?! You dare interrupt my negotiations? Or is it you want to big too? This gentleman over here has already staked claim to those three over there. But this one," he pulls the chain he's holding roughly, with the boy attached, "is still up for grabs if you want him. The current bid is 100 gold pieces." This causes the creature in the moldy robes to look surprised now as he turns to the figure and bellows, "You said 30 Kazmojen! I thought we had a deal!"
