CH. 9: Winter is Coming

[chese780]

Felran sighs, "It would be easy to catch up with them... maybe, but they forgot to leave us a weapon permit. It seems we'll have to wait, or roam the market."

[djhyland]

Arulia stays well back from Shima and Haahqae as they inspect the complex for traps. Though the process takes a long time, she doesn't mind--without the urgency of advancing before the snake people can organize their resistance, she'd rather make sure that the way is safe. Even so, she keeps her attention on her surroundings, should the unexpected happen.

Arulia shows no unusual reaction to Gregeddin's words.

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin, Tulbas, Arulia, Gobax and Shima (Deserted Building)
The walls and floor of the main structure are wooden, and so Shima cannot gleam anything from them. The walls downstairs are stone, though. However, he does not notice any moving or sliding stonework or anything at all unusual about them. He catches up with Haahqae in the dining room, searching for traps.

This is an expansive room with two long tables in the center. The tables are surrounded by wooden chairs. There's a nice bounty of food spread out on the tables, as well; however, most of it has started to attract flies. Beneath the tables are a pair of long blue rugs with gold trim. To the north is a raised dais with a stair leading up to it. This area has a smaller table over a red carpet. A pair of chandeliers hang overhead, one over the smaller table and another over the two larger ones.

In the northwestern corner is a kitchen nook, with some shelves, pantries and even a stone oven and large iron pot for cooking. There are also some barrels, crates and sacks spread about, likely containing food and water. To the far southeastern corner is an impressive stone statue of a cobra, its head reared back and facing to the west.

There are numerous bodies in here and blood is splattered on the walls and floor. Most of the bodies belong to histachii and are grouped near the entrance. There is one snakeman body up on the dais, and it looks like someone literally beat him to a pulp with some kind of bludgeoning weapon.

Haahqae finds no new traps here and it does not appear anything has moved or changed since he was here last night. The door to the north hangs open. The invisible bear trap on the top of the stairs has been become visible again and so should be easy to avoid.

Kendra Greylock (Outside the Ivy Inn)
"Is that so?" asks Necolai casually, as if they were discussing the weather. "And should your new employer send you to take down our little organization?"

Felran and Ne-Chanz (Outside the Steel Tankard Inn)
The two consider their options. They know where the others went, so they could go after them. But without a permit, they'd have to go without their weapons.

Or they could try and do something on their own. Maybe they could find a job of their own, without the others.

[HorizonsDream]

"Then I suppose we would have to come up with a way to trick them into believing I followed orders," Kendra says.

[TristenC]

Grubnick tries to find an opportunity to cast Find Traps outside of Arulia and Shima's view.

[Chris1234]

Shima lifts up the rugs under the table, looking for trapdoors or loose hidey-holes and then moves to the west to examine the kitchen area.
He examines the stone oven. Is it genuine -just the oven it appears to be? {OOC: Any moving/sliding/shifting stonework here? Is there anything that appeared particularly valuable on the table?}

The dwarf then knocks on the barrels and so forth - listening for something that sounds out of place. {OOC: e.g. false barrel hiding a doorway etc.}
He checks any drawers.

If nothing significant in either area, Shima checks with Haahqae, "Need a hand?"

[mgbevan]

Seeing that Arulia doesn't seem disturbed by the scene he continues to Tulbas "Specifically regarding the injuries, that would be as a result of our dear friend here." Motioning to Arulia, "I think there might be some further examples of her handywork about. It certainly speaks volumes for her martial proficiency if anyone dared question it."

After Haahqae and Shima have conducted their assessment, Gregeddin follows down, making a note to steer clear or traps or bodies, slightly suspicious that the snake transformation could be infectious. He checks the kitchen area after Shima, looking specifically for any chef's knives he can add to his own stashed under his armour. Then would move to examine the Cobra Statue more closely. If there are gems encrusted on the eyes or anything decorative he could still salvage something to reimburse all those who helped in this rescue mission.

[spyguy1503]

"Well, without our weapons you're kind of useless. I am mostly too. I say we search the slums for those two *curses in minotaur* girls."

[djhyland]

Arulia joins Shima as he inspects the crates, barrels, and sacks and starts opening containers. If nothing else, I could take some food so that our money for food can go to something else," she thinks. But remembering that the food belonged to the twisted snake people, she quickly decides against the idea. Even so, who knows what the cultists might have hidden in their pantry?

[JadedDM]

Haahqae, Gregeddin, Tulbas, Arulia, Gobax and Shima (Deserted Building)
While the others are distracted, Gobax mutters a prayer that allows him to see traps. Looking around the guard room, then the pantry and then the dining room, he sees none at all.

Meanwhile, Shima looks under the rugs under the tables and finds nothing but solid floor. The stone oven is just that. Checking the barrels, all he finds is some rather suspect foodstuff that might be tempting to a gully dwarf or goblin, but not much else.

Gregeddin searches the kitchen area for any knives. He finds two that might serve his purpose and adds them to his collection.

(OOC:
Gobax casts Find Traps for 30 rounds.
Gregeddin finds two knives.)

Kendra Greylock (Outside the Ivy Inn)
"I see," Necolai says. "I suppose we'll find out soon enough then. Just remember, we are always watching, officer." He then walks past her, back into the street, leaving her alone in the alley.

Felran and Ne-Chanz (Outside the Steel Tankard Inn)
Ne-Chanz and Felran continue to discuss their options.

[TristenC]

Grubnick climbs the stairs, avoiding the bear trap easily, and peeks through the open door to the north leading into the hallway. If nothing new/dangerous is revealed, he searches the pummeled corpse of the snake-priest near the door.

[Ooc: can't remember if I had time to search him before...]

[Chris1234]

Shima says to Arulia, "Can't find anything significant in this kitchen. Were those fallen up to this point all thoroughly searched?"

{OOC: Relates to the bodies of: #1, #4, #6, #SS, #B, #St, #Ha, #Hi}

[mgbevan]

Pleased with his search for knives but noting nothing else has come up, Gregeddin waits for the all clear to proceed with the group by inspecting the Cobra Statue. He muses aloud to the others "I wonder if someone carved this thing from one solid piece of stone..." While trying his best to get his face to mimic the expression of the cobra

[HorizonsDream]

Kendra watches Necolai walk off, and then lets out a sigh. "How many more people are going to try to use me?" she asks herself before she leaves the alley. The boy was long gone, so it was best to go ahead and just continue her patrol until it was time for her to go home and get ready for the party.

[djhyland]

Arulia shakes her head. "I...I don't know. I don't think that they were, but searching them was the last thing on my mind when we were fighting. Maybe one of the others did, though."