Chapter 5 - The Sanctuary of Prescience (Part 3) - Blackfriars

After the squad fought the Blackfriar Priest and the Poison Eaters, they made their way deeper into the basement of the Blackfriars Temple. They passed through the Voyeur Room "No kink shaming!". This long hall has doors at the east and west ends. The south wall contains three large windows of smoked glass, with a pulley mechanism to the left side of each. 

From there they entered and into the Torture Hall. Racks of spotlessly clean torture implements are neatly spaced around this chamber. Several cells against the western wall contain piles of straw, scraps of shredded cloth, and empty water dishes. Despite the scrubbed and antiseptic appearance of the torture chamber, the coppery tang of spilled blood hangs in the air along with a sweet smell like summer flowers.

The squad engages more Poison Eaters and another Blackfriars Priest. In one of the cells is a Celestial named Aphaliel, who has been bound and tortured. She has been bound to a rack, and loudly begs the squad for her release. Grimbold and Valcos engage the Poison Eater while the Simimel, Mr. Gone, Jorin, and Pumpelio deal with the Blackfriars Priest. Grimbold joins them after killing the Poison Eater, and Valcos moves to free the Celestial. 

Aphaliel The Tortured Celestial

Aphaliel uses her Guiding Angel ability to merge with Pumpelio, becoming a constant presence in communication with him.  

Several doors lead out of this long access hall. The north wall contains a shelf with several protective goggles and long rubber gloves. Posted notices warn about proper methods of chemical disposal and detail prayers to Blackfingers to prevent accidental exposure. The squad finds a false door trap, but are unharmed. 

The squad enters the Venom Lab. Tiny, colorful spiders crawl all over the surfaces of this

large laboratory. Two cages stand to the west, open and empty. A large table covered with web-shrouded equipment stands underneath a hatch, closed and about. a foot in diameter, in the south wall. The room contains a pair of Giant Joro Spiders, which rush to attack the squad. There is a strange spider-woman in a cage, who also moves to attack the squad.

Giant Joro Spider

Thinking quickly Pumpelio raises a Chromatic Wall across the entrances to the North Hall, The Green Chromatic Wall stops toxins, gases, and breath weapons from passing through. It causes poison damage to anyone passing through and makes them enfeebled lasting one minute. Simimel wastes no time once creatures are in range, and uses her strength and wrestling skill to throw them back through the wall. The spider-woman becomes Enfeebled.

Simimel invoked Smite, to damage those creatures already under spell effect, like the strange spider-woman. The Spider-woman was defeated, and one Joro spider killed. The other Joro spider fled.

Creepy Spider Woman

The squad then investigated the Infection Room: This long room features a large cage with floor-to-ceiling bars covered in metal mesh. Hundreds of rats crowd inside this confinement—they squeal and climb over each other to get away from the foul-smelling sludge dripping out of a large spigot that protrudes from the cage’s back wall. A few other rats occupy smaller cages on nearby tables, though most of them appear dead.