"Spare bodies are at the end of the hall if you want to take a look." Aurion suggests to Vova.

He hopes Brindle's spell works but doesn't linger to find out. He pokes his head around to door to Dagda's room after the blast. "Tsk, tsk!" he admonishes, stepping into her room. "That's no way to greet The Inquisition." The snakes waggle their tongues reprovingly from his hood. "You and Mervyn are all Set to succeed Haffrung ... if you cooperate."


17:21, Today: Aurion Moonbeak_ rolled 18 using 1d20+10.  bluff Dagda.

 "Oh?" Vova asks, with all too unsettling enthusiasm, apparently finding the prospect nowhere near as upsetting as anyone ought to, then looking between Aurion and Mervyn when the former vouches for the nearby stash, ruefully admitting "Probably not something I'll be able to take advantage of for a while yet, magic jar is a ridiculously difficult spell to hold together... Still, just another piece of evidence to the premise that wizards are perverted."

 Here, he winks up at Vic (who steadfastly refuses to make eye contact) before remarking to both co-conversationalists "I'm merely kinky. It's all about the line between using just a feather and using the whole chicken."

 Still, he can at least be slightly persuaded to keep his mind on business as the screaming and the shouting make him look back around and sigh, "But I suppose there's an adventure happening, isn't there? Are we involved?" - the last directed at Vic, who uncurls his head from under his wing to offer down an irritated 'Squonk!' that makes Vova pull an irritated face, as if he's just been told he has to eat his greens before he can have pudding.

Mervyn looks concerned or rather more concerned at Brindle's thanks and his brow furrows yet further as the Halfling casts a spell of ensorcellment ... after which he seems a lot happier, casting aside his cares of the day.

"I'd like that !" he enthusiastically agrees with Brindle's suggestion that he join the party, which is already straining at the seams.

His friend Dagda, on the other hand is less convinced by Aurion's attempts to sweet talk her, responding with what he at first takes to be a rude gesture but swiftly realises is a spell.  The Elf pulls his head back, out of sight, but when nothing happens risks a look back in again, just in time to see the mage becoming insubstantial, misty and translucent as she begins to waft towards him in a ghostly manner.

Vova kindly explains the finer points of things best left to the imagination of others, though by this point his audience has dwindled and it seems only Vic pays him any attention and that not approving.

As the door at the western end of the corridor swings back and a platemail clad Half-Elf looks out, Tesseryn finally decides that the lure of the dark stairway is too tempting, and with Wrukaog on her heels, your two most accomplished warriors race down the steps, finding themselves in a fifteen foot square room with a single door to the north, lined with shelves upon which they espy a goodly quantity of fine, rich foodstuffs, easily enough to last your entire and rather large party for about a month, even with two Halflings (at least one of which suddenly has a not entirely inconsequential hankering for roast chicken) in the mix.

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

Wrukaog suddenly looks suspicious and taps Tesseryn on the shoulder and leans forward to whisper to her.

"Halphed said there's two doors out of the larder. One leads to Haffrung's study, the other to his workshop. I only see one door, so the other must be hidden by those carking shelves. Wanna bet the bastard ain't behind the door we can see? Halphed would know where the other door is hidden."

Brindle smiles at Mervyn and says, "Good choice. Welcome to the party!"

With that detail satisfactorily resolved he heads out the door. Seeing the state of everyone in the hallway and heads turned toward the now open door at the end of the hallway, he quickly makes his way past everyone down the hallway until he has a clear enough view into the guardroom, then casts a spell.

"We should have locked that door earlier," he mutters to himself.

OOC: Cast Web spell to completely fill the guardroom.

The halfling shrugs his shoulders, grinning at Vova. "With the number of new friends we've made recently, we're going to need a much bigger table back at the Inn when we celebrate our triumph!"

"First drinks on the newcomers!" he announces striding after his kinsman. "Wait for me!"

"What?! You're ghosting me?" Aurion is not pleased. "No one escapes the Inquisition that way!" He stands his ground and casts a spell right back at Dagda to show just how displeased he is.

Tesseryn grimaces back at Wrukaog.  "Well we'd best get on with it then."  She moves to the bookshelf opposite the door and searches for a secret door.


21:18, Today: Tesseryn Brightsoul rolled 8 using 1d20.  search.

Wrukaog shrugs and starts searching the shelves in the eastern wall, closest to the door.

OOC: Wrukaog_ rolled 17 using 1d20+8.  Search.

Downstairs, Tesseryn and Wrukaog conduct a thorough and exhaustive search for the elusive missing door ... but while both are exceptional warriors, neither have what one might call an eye for the finer details and utterly fail to locate it.

Not needing any more friends at this juncture, Brindle decides to deal with those within the guardroom in a direct manner.  Pushing his way down the corridor with Cogwitz at his heels, the Halfling gestures at the platemail clad Half-Elf peering out, causing him to defensively duck back into the room, just as it fills up with sticky webs, trapping him and the rest of the guards within.

Offended that Dagda has chosen to take her best shot then leave the field of play, Aurion throws a spell her way.  For a few brief moments the mage's misty form swirls in agitation ... then she manages to pull herself together and floats out in the corridor, entering the guard room at the northern end, unaffected by the webs in her current state.

Now it's just Mervyn and Vova left in the room, almost as if you'd never been there ... save Vova is now freed of his restraints and Mervyn is Brindle's newest best friend.  Smiling happily, even dreamily, at Vova, Brindle's best friend suddenly lifts up his robes and takes to his heels, smile vanished as he races hell-for-leather out the room, and up the stairs !

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

 "Well, wasn't that odd?" Vova asks of the perched peacock, who glares down at him in response with the sort of malevolence usually reserved for the Fiends of Carceri (on an especially bad day).

 Over the course of a few short minutes he gathers up his assorted things and tucks them about his person before speculatively examining the sacrificial gear in case any of it might be fun in a more recreational setting, then goes to look for where the rest of what are pretty obviously an unusually erratic band of adventurers (even by his markedly loose standards) might have gone off to, before pausing at the door and addressing Mervyn "So, uhm... Might be an odd thing to ask, but I don't suppose you've any idea where I am, would you? Or... What's going on? I may have had a fairly good night last... time... and it's all a tad fuzzy."

OOC: Vova, you will need to run to ask Mervyn that question. He has fled out the southern door and away up the stairs. Away from you, apparently. I wonder why? ;)

Brindle curses mildly in annoyance as the misty mage wafts past into the web-filled guardroom. He whips out a wand and shoots a string of five magic missiles at her to teach her the error of her ways.

"Come back here at once, or next time it's a fireball!" he threatens her.

Brindle rolled 17 using 5d4+5.  Magic missile damage. – 17

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 ...