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"Well..." Grasping her dagger tightly she shoots Thelma a dirty look and crouches down further, "I don't plan on being a Bandits plaything, I've heard you stories, I know what happens." Shuddering she pulls on her Sisters Sleeve.

"Girls!" Calls Mathias, louder and more clearly than he said before. He steps forward, carefully weaving his way past the brawnier types in the lead. A stair creaks under him as he starts a hesitant descent, causing dust and silt to cloud the under-stair space. "This is no time to be playing games, this keep is indeed inhabited with irascible instigators!"

Continues the apothecary, growing louder and bolder with every word. "We have spotted smoke rising from the chimney of a building in the inner keep, so it is my guess that proceeding into the courtyard will be highly visible and decidedly vulnerable."

Can they make out Mathias now?

They will see him as dark shadow descending the stairs and certainly recognise his voice.

"Mathias?" the young girl asks with faltering voice. "Smoke? We saw no smoke. All I know is that this place is a store room, there is a door hidden in the floor."

Sauls expression is completely devoid of emotion as he turns to Christopher and says "These fools are going to get us all killed." He shakes his head and continues his tiny tirade. "Sneaking away from the group, giving away our location by yelling in an occupied keep.....hell, they're even yelling out or LOCATION!" Saul catches his own blaspheme and raises his eyes briefly toward the heavens and says, "Forgive me, Father."

(Eloise is not shouting, her voice is quite small and can barely be heard by anyone)

Eloise had ineed being talking very softly, and Thelma's call was just loud enough to be heard in the staircase. However, as Saul was still up in the corridor when he yelled, anyone in the upper storey now certanily knows someone's there.

As Matthias is now close to the ground floor, he too notices the smell of spilled beer. His trained apothecary's nose also makes out a faint scent of yeast.

[OOC:]Just a remark about vocabulary: I understood that the keep is the oldest part of a castle, the one that is built first (and many don't make it beyond), a sturdy tower, easily defendable, a last refuge for the people. For the Valckenburg, that would be the round building, #6. Next come the "economic buildings", stables, granaries and workshops, all enclosed by a defensive wall. If there's more money, a palas is built for the noble family to live in and receive guests, and barracks for those that defend the castle. If funds remain high, more courtyards, buildings and walls are added...

So, for the time being, in my understanding, the group can't know if the keep is occupied, and currently they believe the building they are in is a store room.[/OOC]

Moving with the group as they go down, Dale says in a calming voice. "Right, this sneaking around bit is not working out so well. I hope nobody hears us."

Mathias quickly descends the stairs, spry and surefooted for an older man due to his years in the woodlands. He sniffs the air discerningly. "Ah the remains of a brewery or storage cellar I see. Yes, that is quite unsurprising due to the necessary and profitable nature of such beverages." He comes to a halt should he finally come face-to-face with the girls.

"Girls, I am gladdened you remain whole. It seems we are chasing spirits here while the other buildings are the ones to contain..." He trails off, "Did you say 'secret door?'"

"Yes, that's what I said, a door in the floor." Eloise says sliding out from behind the barrel. "It's about time you men turned up, would you like to lift this?" she leans down to the door, searching for anything that might be a trap.

Find Traps: 1d100=37 Fail

Because of the poor lighting, it is difficult to make out more than the outline of the trap door and the ring that is used to lift it. It looks like quite your ordinary trap door used to close a cellar or underground storeroom, When lifted up, it comes to rest against the stone wall which is also the courtyard wall.

"Does anyone have a torch?" Eloise asks, taking Thelma by the hand. "And... we went off ahead because you men make too much noise, and spend too long thinking!" She exclaims, tutting loudly.

Saul finally makes his way down the stairs as Eloise makes her final comment. He simply looks at Matthias, shrugs, and replies, "She has a point." Turning to the girl, he whispers, "Thinking DID allow us to find a stairwell rather than force us to climb the wall itself."

"We got here didn't we?" she whispers back, "Are we going in?" she asks, hands on her hips.