Heeding Alexa's warning, Valen approaches the old manor house and gently tries to open the front door and get a look inside.
Creel looks at the warden's house.
"Well the main floor should hold. no reason for it to fall if it has not already. Different story if we go up."
Creel removes some rope from his pack. He loops it around his waist and ties it securely.
"Here, catch" He tosses the grapnel and the majority of the rope to Alexa. [b]"I'll go first. If the floor holds me in this tin suit it will hold for all of us.
Creel walks confidently in the main doors.
Alexa takes the rope and watches carefully to see whether anything looks like it is moving in a manner that might cause the structure to fall.
Perception:
Madeline hold the bow ready and indicates Smith should 'gear up'. To which her manservant draws the large, two handed hammer from across his back.
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Creel strides into the old home with a paladin's bravado, his faith and experience his mantle. He disappears into the shadow of the house.
The house is silent - deadly so. Here and there you make out, in the shadowy light filtering in through the endless cracks in the walls and ceiling, movement. Small skittering things, darting to and fro in the darkness, stir up small bits of damp debris.
About a minute or so into the room, your eyes finally adjust and you can make out you're in what used to be a parlor. A long, mildewed couch - faded from purple to gray - leans on the north wall. A broken table stands close to it. Both rest on an ancient, soggy carpet that guards soft, old wooden floors. A broken rack of some sort - with bits of long, worn cloth, stands close to the door you just walked in through. There is another door along the north wall that leads off into the darkness.
Madeline and Smith watch, one nervously the other in-passionately.
I continue to watch carefully and listen for any calls from Creel. (Perception rolled above unless you want another one.)
Valen starts to say, "The house looks worse in-," when Creel strides right into the house."-side. Oh bother..." He shrugs.
He watches the soldier stride inside, keeping an eye on him as best as possible. For security, he places one hand on the rope - ready to give it a pull in case. "Master Creel, do you require further assistance in there?
Creel walks a small circut of the room. He bounces his weight a bit, testing the floors. First by the rack, then the north door, past the sofa and back out the way he came in.
Assuming the floor holds.
"Seems solid enough. Old and wet though, I think I saw some rats. Pretty dark inside. Let me get this torch lit."
Creel removes a torch from his pack and lights it. before untying and recoiling the rope.
"Thanks Alexa" Creel smiles.
"Right. All in?"
Releasing a deep breath of relief as Creel emerges from the ruined home, Alexa is rather surprised when Creel immediately proposes reentering the building.
I don't think this is where the evil originates. If there is evil here, I assume you would be able to detect it as a faithful of Iomedae. I cannot sense anything of an unnatural sort here either. In the other buildings, the presences are almost overwhelming, but here I sense nothing. I think that at least one of us should remain without until we affirm that we are all not going to become entrapped within. I trust your judgment Creel, but just don't know if it is safe for all of us to go in there together.
"Perhaps one of us should check the other door, but I tend to agree with Miss Alexa's statement," he points towards the door he just opened. "This thing almost came off the hinges, and I daresay I am wary of what the condition of the rest of the place is."
He shrugs a bit with his hands open as to indicate his ambivalence.
Madeline puts away the bow and draws her sword, before slowly and carefully proceeding to follow Master Creel and the others into the house to check things out.
Alexa shrugs and shakes her head considering this a poor decision, but follows the others in.
Valen gives Alexa a puzzled shrug in return, and follows the others into the house.
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The house is silent - deadly so. Here and there you make out, in the shadowy light filtering in through the endless cracks in the walls and ceiling, movement. Small skittering things, darting to and fro in the darkness, stir up small bits of damp debris.
About a minute or so into the room, your eyes finally adjust and you can make out you're in what used to be a parlor. A long, mildewed couch - faded from purple to gray - leans on the north wall. A broken table stands close to it. Both rest on an ancient, soggy carpet that guards soft, old wooden floors. A broken rack of some sort - with bits of long, worn cloth, stands close to the door you just walked in through. There is another door along the north wall that leads off into the darkness.
Creel can be seen standing in the doorway, his back to you, peering into the darkness of the next room. He's very still.
Seeing Creel unmoving, I activate my Spirit Sense and begin to scan for anything undead or incorporeal. (Or anything else I can detect which I figure I am unlikely to detect at level 2.)
Madeline pauses and looks at the mold, mildew and rot about her in obvious distaste. She puts her skills to some use and notes the sagging beams and walls,
Smith simple stands behind his Mistress, covering her and watching for ANYTHING which might be hostile.
I still do not sense anything in here and really do not think that this is where the evil originates. I also believe that at least one of us should remain without in case this place collapses so that we can get help.
With that, Alexa carefully moves back toward the doorway waiting for Creel to say why he is standing still, and prepared to flee out the door if necessary.
Prepared Action: Run - if there is any sign of the building beginning to collapse.
Valen nods at Alexa's suggestion, standing aside so that she may pass and giving a shrug. Although he feels unease at the state of the house - worried they'll be injured in the rubble. Still - he stands by to assist Creel in his invesigation of the next room. "Do you see anything, Master Creel, or need more light?"
"Too many cooks spoil the broth, as they say," Vaghn mutters to himself. He remains without with Kendra and Tharnik, watching for unwelcome visitors and ready to lend a hand should the worst happen.
"Not much in here, though I didn't really search. Best to press on?"
If he can Creel moves into the next room. Moving slowly so if the floor is going to give he might have warning.
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As for the torch, it reveals a lot... but nothing that really stands out. You do see some old paintings of the warden, as well as his beloved wife hanging on the walls of the living room. But even these are faded and mildewed.
Smith, for his part, isn't aware of anything about.
Madeline moves closer to a wall.
"Every one? This place is unsound. Try and be careful and not too excitable? I think, perhaps, we should back out and perhaps simply poke this place from the outside until it falls down.." She adds, though not raising her voice too loudly for fear of said structure not taking even that violence too well.
Smith simply moves to follow his Mistress.
At Madeline's observations, Valen's unease grows. Gripping his mace nervously, his voice is a little small.
"Excuse me for being contrary, but that's three of us who are un-certain about this place. Perhaps...perhaps it would be best if we leave this house and head for the main building."
Madeline frowns, "Leave and simply knock it down..." She mutters.
I do not know if that is wise. While I cannot detect any malevolent spirits here, that does not mean that this place is not being watched. It was the home of the warden and his wife, yet is one of the few parts of this prison that does not radiate from being inhabited by spirits. Although it is in terrible shape, the pictures still hang and the building still stands even after all these years. I say we back out and look in through the windows. Unless we must, I would prefer to not destroy it.
"Well I am willing to risk it. There might be something in here worth knowing. How about the rest of you move outside and I will take a look around? No reason for us all to be crushed."
GM. First left hand door please.
Aloud. "Looks like the kitchen in here." Creel pauses. "There is a pair of portraits in the front room. Looks like the warden and his wife. We should see if they can be saved. Might be a nice thing for the town to have. I'll keep looking."
Creel opens the first right hand door and looks in.
"I think we are simply wasting our time here; the Way were obviously focused on the main building of the prison, and so should we be."
Madeline nods at Vaghn's words,
"Indeed, but it is always best to leave no stone unturned behind one's back..." She points out.
"Do you see anything of interest...or threat...Master Creel?" She calls after her more adventurous companion.
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In an unprecedented turn of luck, Creel lurks about in the dark of the house for several minutes and, with the exception of a few minor relics from the warden's past, returns to your group empty-handed. When asked about his exploration he shrugs his shoulders and says, "Wasn't much in there. Just a lot of spider webs and decay. Oh, and this." Creel produces an old picture, framed in tarnished silver, of the warden and his wife.
As if to accent his find, the house once again groans and, as if settling in for its final rest, promptly collapses into a heap of old rubble and decayed timber.
In the distance, a wolf cries out as the sun starts its lazy descent into the west.