Wrukaog looks at the rows of shelves around the room and growls.

"Ah, cark it! I'll fetch Halphed so he can show us where it is," he snarls.

He turns and walks back up the stairs to fetch the friendly guard.

'Her current state' is only the most irritating thing about Dagda, Aurion thinks as he stalks out of her room, slipping past his comrades to join Brindle at the door to the guard room. "Yes, have at her!" he cheers as Brindle fires magic missiles.

He peers through the doorway and casts his own spell at what's left of Dagda. "No one escapes the Inquisition." he reminds her.

10:20, Today: Aurion Moonbeak_ rolled 26 using 1d20+6.  dispel Dagda (Arcane Turmoil).

OOC: Vova, are you able to see the game map? (Game Map link, view Map 0).  If you can see the map then you can see where all the party are (Vova's gear was in the room just north (up the page) of where Vova is now - the empty room with the comfy bed.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Mon 15 Jan.

Tesseryn follows Wrukaog back upstairs, where she spots someone looking more confused than herself.  "Vova!" she calls.  "We can speak freely now that our enemy, Mervyn, has run off.  Pay no mind to all the theatrics earlier, we were trying to bluff Mervyn and Halphed to release you, but you're free now to do as you please.  You can help us destroy an evil wizard names Haffrung Helleyes, possibly lairing downstairs from here, or you can go your own way.  Upstairs leads out of this dungeon and back to your normal life."  She manages a smile, although it does not sit naturally on her dour face.

"Unless the townsfolk try to kill you!" Cogwitz calls back with a cheerful grin. "Though we may have started a civil war up there," the Halfling points an accusing finger at Aurion at the other end of the corridor mouthing 'he did it' at Vova.

The abandoning of the subterfuge and the helpful explanations probably only serve to confuse Vova more, but the ex-sacrificial victim is guided by Halphed to the adjoining room.  After an enjoyable interlude pushing his way past (or more accurately, rubbing up against) the band of dervishes that seem bemused by the whole proceedings, save for one who was staring at him in dislike and contempt even before such familiarities ... though to be fair, Tesseryn and Wrukaog get the same treatment as the pair return from their failed search of the downstairs larder.

As Halphed helps Vova don his gear and stow the leather bindings, under the watchful eye of Vic (who, perversely, earned a nod of approval from the one giving out the baleful looks), Brindle and Aurion do their best to ensure Dagda's excape is short-lived as the Halfling's magic wand sends a bunch of glowing globes at her misty form, and Aurion shakes and stirs ... and the lifeless body that ends up stuck in the webs proves to be only all too solid and vulnerable flesh after all.

The rest of the guards in the room aren't too pleased by this, of course, and hurl a variety of complaints, insults and quite vehement oaths at the Brindle and Aurion, but the pair weather that well, as Tesseryn attempts to entice Vova to deeds of derring-dos and don'ts and Wrukaog searches the sea of brave adventurers blocking the corridor for the elusive Halphed.

OOC: Map of the proceedings updated ...

With the tricky female mage taken care of, Brindle turns his attention to the door of the guardroom. He checks for a key or other locking mechanism on either side of the door, then once he has worked out how to lock it he closes the door and sets to work to secure it. If there is no key handy he will retrieve a set of lockpicks from his haversack and start working on the lock. If necessary he will find something to wedge under the door to make it even more difficult to open from the other side.

Wrukaog pushes his way through the crowd in the corridor until he finally locates Halphed.

"Come here, you. We need you to show us where the other door is down in the pantry," he tells the ensorcelled guard.

"Delighted to be of assistance," the guard beams up at Wrukaog, looking back to his best friend Brindle for permission.

"Excellent work Master Thistlefoot. Now, where to next? Ooo, a door...# Aurion casts Shield on himself then opens the last door in this hallway.

"You have my permission, Halphed." Tesseryn assures the charmed guard, gesturing for him to precede her down the stairs.  Worth a try.

"Vova," she beckons, "do you have a score to settle with Haffrung?  It was he who sentenced you to torture and death.  We're about to confront him downstairs if you wish to join us?"

She heads back downstairs after Halphed.

Brindle nods to Halphed.

"Yes, please show them where the doors are and tell them what to expect to find on the other side of each one. I suggest they should wait for us to join you downstairs before opening either one, but that is their choice," he tells Halphed.

Brindle remains upstairs for a little longer to make sure the guardroom door is properly secured and to see what Aurion finds in the next room, as it occurs to him that view might prove useful later.

Wrukaog snorts at Brindle's cautious approach and escorts Halphed downstairs to find out where the other door is supposed to be.

With Brindle's kind permission, Halphed happily accompanies Tesseryn and Wrukaog downstairs, both the ex-Paladin and the big Orc both so keen to investigate further that they rush off leaving Vova to struggle alone with his pack.

The Halfling himself finds the door to the guard's room is sadly missing a lock, but as Aurion flings open the opposing door on the other side of the corridor, contents himself with swiftly knotting a short length of rope about the handle and giving the other end to Haltashaar to hang onto, until the Elf is done and he can tie the other end to the handle on that door, making both all but impossible to open.

The room is plushly appointed with a large comfortable couch and a variety of tasty looking comestibles upon a side table.  A large ornate dressing mirror is set on the wall at the east end of the room.  On the couch sit three figures, two males and one female.  The blonde male and the dark-haired female are very attractive examples of the human species, while the other male is best described as large and tough-looking, dressed in leather armour and cradling a heavy broadsword.

All three look up at Aurion, smiling vacantly in unison at the Elf before returning their gazes to continue staring at the wall.

Downstairs, Halphed deftly flicks a hidden catch causing the western bookcase to swing back, revealing an opening into the room beyond, where a rather ornate bed stands against the north wall, while another bookcase set on the west wall towers ominously over it.  Nearer to hand is a small desk with chair and candlestick topped by a glowing stone.  A narrow door is set in the west end of the south wall.

Also notable is the severe lack of one Haffrung Helleyes.

OOC: Map of the proceedings for Group 0 updated ...

Tesseryn nods to acknowledge Brindle's recommendation.  "Join us when you can."

Downstairs, she notes how the hidden catch was revealed by Halphed, but quietly swings the bookshelf-door closed again.  She puts a finger to her lips and quietly asks, "Halphed, point to where we can find Haffrung."

"Well, they look harmless enough," Aurion regards the Spare Bodies. "but suppose Haffrung were to possess one of them... perhaps we should prepare for that possibility?"

He beckons to Vova. "Vova, we could use your assistance. These three Spare Bodies need to be tied up so they can't use spells if Haffrung returns to occupy one. Can you please help us bind them?"

Aurion casts Mage Armour on himself then steps into the room to sample the comestibles.

Once he has seen the spare bodies and is confident that Haltashaar knows how to secure the doors, Brindle suggests that Cogwitz and Leisha should also help tie up the spares to speed up the process.

"I'm going to join our friends downstairs," he explains quietly.

Wrukaog just gets a quick look into the bedroom but is satisfied there is no work for his greataxe in there.

He waits silently for Halphed's response.

"No idea, sorry," Halphed tells Tesseryn.  "Afraid old Helleyes doesn't confide his movements to his guards unless he needs us with him."

"He's not upstairs, or in there, so he might be in his workroom," the obliging fellow points a finger at the other, more obvious door, "but failing that, he could be anywhere - up in the village, feeding his pet, wandering the halls ..."

Leaving Aurion to undertake the taste-testing duties and supervise Vova, Cogwitz and Leisha tying up the three spare bodies (spoiler alert: Vova is surprising, even disturbingly good at this task, while the spare bodies' compliance is equally surprising, even disturbing ... as is the rather unusual flavouring of the finger-food), and with Haltashaar on door duty, and the other ex-prisoners on guard, Brindle trots downstairs to join Tesseryn and Wrukaog, arriving at the tail end of Halphed's less than helpful run down of where Haffrung Helleyes probably is not.

OOC: Vova, who had a tab into this thread open way down the left of his window, was not getting updates. ^_^

 "Normal is rather unutterably tedious, I find." Vova replies as he sets to investigating the comfortable bed and ancillary objects, just in case there's anything fun in the bedside cabinet or the sheets are especially nice - which means that when talk of a return to his original location is offered up he's not tremendously excited at first, at least until the 'evil wizard' is mentioned, a situation which causes him to straighten up, brush his hands together, remark "Well, very nice to meet you all but I really should be going...", not even slightly dissuaded by talk of a lynch mob (well, it is Vova here we're talking about) but brought up short by a singularly malicious 'squonk' sound coming from the door leading upwards.

 It's one sound, and only one sound but it spins him around on the spot to clap his hands together with feigned enthusiasm and a faint beading of sweat on his forehead "Evil wizard you say? Sounds lovely. Count me in!"

 Thereafter he's of some, but limited assistance - he is, as noted distressingly adept at tying people up (even if he does insist on asking them about something called a 'safe word' first), but is largely free of anything resembling malice about his nominal captor, waving it off airily "Oh, nothing personal. Why, if I went around getting upset about everyone who tried to have me sacrificed, or arrested, or tortured, or poisoned, or thrown off quite a high cliff, or fed to a gulguthra I'd never have time for anything fun."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:35, Mon 26 Feb.

"Gargk!" Aurion splutters, indelicately spitting into the dip. "Don't eat that, any of it! There's a reason these three are so mellow."

"Good work Vova. Now let's join the others downstairs. Last one out close the door so Haltashaar can secure it."

He heads downstairs.

17:19, Today: Aurion Moonbeak_ rolled 17 using 1d20+8.  Fort save DC17 for comestibles
This message was last edited by the player at 13:05, Fri 16 Feb.

OOC: nice to have you back Vova.

Tesseryn glances at Wrukaog, Brindle and Haplhed with a grimace. She shrugs and tries the door to the north.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Fri 16 Feb.

Wrukaog grins and stands close beside Tesseryn, ready with his greataxe.

Brindle grimaces back at Tesseryn and hides behind the stairs, quickly casting a spell upon himself.  He holds his favourite wand (of magic missiles) ready for action if required.

Though the opportunity to join in the good fight against an evil wizard might not entice Vova, who seems to take his near brush with vivisection as something to be expected on the whole, if not relied upon, the disapprobation of (and threatening noises voiced by) his fated companion serves to convince him which path he should tread.  Surprise and disturbance give way to distress as he binds the three compliant figures upon the sofa while Aurion discovers bad things about the dainties on offer. 

Leaving Haltashaar to manage a few simple knots (to secure the rope betwixt the handles of the two doors on opposite sides of the passage), there is a general exodus as the large group make a beeline for the stairs to rejoin those below where Brindle takes up a position of concealment behind the stairs his trusty wand at the ready, Halphed standing at his side smiling and waving, and Wrukaog waiting with axe in hand as Tesseryn tries the door to the north ...

... which opens with suspicious ease to reveal a well lit (magically so, judging by the lack of any source) if narrow room, about fifty feet long and but fifteen wide.  The western fifteen feet or so are sealed off by metal bars which run from floor to ceiling, with a barred door allowing ingress and egress, currently closed, though the cell thus formed contains nothing but dung strewn straw on the ground.

A stone workbench, about twenty feet long is against the south wall, upon which sits a variety of jars, pestles and the like.  Twenty bottles filled with liquids of various hues sit on a shelf set above the workbench.  There is another door set in the eastern end of the northern wall, opposite the one through which you currently peer.

The room is entirely lacking in occupants.  No sign of Haffrung Helleyes here.

OOC: Map of the proceedings for Group 0 updated ...