Downstairs

As Dak began his examination of the room and furnishings, a number of spiders came out of the cold fireplace.  Each spider was close to half the size of his hand (legs included), and they seemed to be swarming toward Dak and Wick as though someone had signaled dinner.

---

Upstairs

"They done took my clothes," said Ric, who was just wearing the drawers and chemise of his undergarments.

"Out, out, out!" Dak blurted as he tried to get back out of the room to pull the door closed before the spiders caught up to them.

It was a bit harder to be suspicious of the fellow while he stood there in his drawers.    She glanced at Westin, gathering by his lack of comment there was no magic to be immediately warned of.

"Very well.  Are you able to walk, sir?    I think you should join us over here, then we'll get you out of this place.  We can get you something to wear, and a meal, at the church I think.   I can help with your injury too."       She wanted Storm out of the crumbling room, as well.

"That'd be good of ya," said Ric, standing and gingerly taking a few steps, wincing a little in the manner of one who might be stepping on a foot that had fallen asleep.  He edged toward the outer wall, where the fireplace was, to start his way out of the room.

Downstairs, Dak and Wick found that they were able to retreat from the room and get the door closed before the spiders managed to get to them.

"I don't think the book was in there" Dak said, giving the door another tug to ensure it had closed securely.  "Why don't we try in here?"

He indicated the door on the other side of the hall and, not to be intimidated by spiders, opened it courageously to see what was inside.

In reply to DM (msg # 22):

"Who is the they Ric sir? Maybe you can tell us more as we move you away from this place. Like my friend asks, are you able to walk?" Storm says, lending his hand to help the man up.

Wick had hustled out of the room at Dak's warning.  He quickly inspects the closed door, trying to gauge if the spiders were going to crawl under the door or otherwise get out.  He looks to see if there's anything to stuff into the cracks just to be safe.

He shrugs as Dak suggests the room across the hall.  "What do you think made those spiders stir up?"

"I must have disturbed one of their webs.  They probably have them all about the room to let them know when a meal is about," Dak replied.

Downstairs

The space under the closed door looked disturbingly capable of allowing spiders to crawl under the door, as indeed one did while Wick was looking at that space.

The door nearly opposite, when Dak opened that door, revealed what appeared to have once been a dining room with a long table--now broken--running across the room.  There was a broken chair, and some moldering bits of cloth which might have once been napkins along with broken earthenware dishes in the middle of the room.

"Thank you," said Ric, starting to stamp his feet as he walked along the outer wall to make a loop to the door.  "Once I get some feeling back in my feet, I can walk, I'm sure.  I don't know who they are ... I just reckon that it'd take more than one person to cart me up here after they hit me on the head.  This is a fell place, for sure.  Why'd you come here?  Not that I'm not grateful someone came, just ... it's a bad place."

Wick stomps on the spider that came under the door.  "Dak, see anything to stuff under this door, your spiders are starting to follow you."

Wick continues to look around for anything that might be suitable.

"Yeah, I see something," Dak replied to Wick as he stepped into the room and tried to scoop up an armload of debris.  Moldy cloth and broken plates would probably fit under a door.

In fairly short order, Dak and Wick were able to stuff debris under the door to prevent any other spiders from sliding through that crack.

Having secured the spider door, Dak returned his attention to the dining room.  It didn't look like it would have a book, but he walked the room. He stirred the debris with the point of his metal javelin to see if anything jumped out.  Perhaps there'd be a silver candlestick or two mixed in with the rubbish.

"Looking for something," Lenelle answered him, purposefully vague.

"Did you know it was a bad place, when you approached?   What were you doing so close to the gate?"   

Westin will look about the room Ric came from. Does he see a book? Is there a desk or chest or something that might contain a book?

Westin looks at Ric, doing his best to discern something from the man. If he was an elf, he would be more confident but humans are still perplexing to him.

"Do you feel well enough to travel?" he asks Ric after he answers Lenelle's question.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:45, Mon 30 Sept 2019.

In reply to Ric (msg # 25):

Seeing the unusual sight, Storm walks carefully towards the fireplace, asking his companions to stay back for a moment. He concentrates to see if there is any evil lingering in the place before examining the fireplace area carefully before moving towards the window sills to check the unusual lack of a dust cover. Could the fireplace be a dud or secret entrance, he wonders.

Turning to Lenelle and Westin, he says,"The sill does not have the same dust cover that can be seen through most of the room, and there are some odd marks on the sill, like scratches. I wonder if the covers were removed or the fireplace is a dud."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:04, Mon 30 Sept 2019.

Downstairs

While Dak tried moving debris to see if something more valuable lay hidden, neither book, nor valuable candlesticks (nor even a bell) turned up amongst the shattered earthenware and moldy fabric not used to create a barricade against spiders.

---

Upstairs

While Storm looked over the fireplace, no evil came from the fireplace or the window.  Too, this was on an outer wall, and looking through the window, he could see the water of the bay, as the land curved around so that Monteci was just visible to the distant right.

"I dinna know it was a bad place, an' I never meant to come in it at all," declared Ric.  "I was just on the road."  He turned to Westin and said, "I could go with you and look for that thing you're looking for.  Mebbe even find my clothes."

The room itself was devoid of furniture, though it seemed that Ric had found a bit of a nail that he'd been able to use to work through the gag.

"I don't see any books down here," Dak observed, poking some last bit of debris with his foot.  "Let's try that last door we saw down the short hallway."

He lead the way back toward the kitchen and then down the short hallway to the door.  He opened the door without preamble to see what was inside.

"We have two more doors up here we can check before heading down, so lets do that and see if we can find his clothes or the book..." replied Telemachus from the hallway as he waited for them to get into position before he moved to the closer of the two.  Sheathing his blade he eased the next one open while placing the shield so it could intercept any trap or ambushed blade coming from within.

Lenelle attempted to make sense of what Storm had noted.

"Scratches on the sill?   Has something come in from outside, perhaps?"    She shook her head.  "What?"   

Then glanced back when Telemachus spoke, "I don't know.   What about him?" she indicated Ric.     She wasn't keen on bringing an untrained man into possible danger.   Nor having this stranger at their backs in a tight spot.

Telemachus stopped his movement in opening the door to quietly reply to Lenelle, "Either he is straight and now at the back of our formation, or he's complicit and I'd rather have him within arms reach to deal with instead of ambushing us later when we aren't expecting it."

Shaking his head he added, "It's not ideal but life seldom gives you perfect situations to deal with."

"I do not know also but from here we could see the outer area whih is water. Hard for anyone or anything to get through on foot. Guys, I am going to check the fireplace out. Let us be vigilant," Storm says before prceeding to the fire place.

At he fireplace, he will examine the ashes, soot, wood and other materials to see if they are cold or warm. He will also carefully examine by looking upwards into the chimney using a mirror.