"Let's go here and close the door. They only have a 1/3 chance of guessing the right door," Hektir pads over to stairwell and hides there.
Yep. This is a perfect plan. Nothing can go wrong.
"And if they guess right, then we can take them on one at a time instead of both."
"Yep, come on gang, into the stairwell." Quinn slips through the door and takes the first few steps quietly, looking for more threats up the stairs.
Malavarius pokes at Zeno with his staff as he follows Quinn and Hektir into the stairwell, "Zeno, make a note of this, won't you? When we put some of those columns in the yard, make sure they know not to break down the front door, yes? What a mess that would be!"
Pems follows after, keeping his eyes open for traps!
Tsin follows suit, her sword at the ready for the inevitable advance of the columns. She is last to take to the stairs, just in that case.
Hektir lets no one go up the stairs, hiding on the bottom floor. He closes the door and waits quietly.
Before Quinn can land a foot on the stairs he's jerked back by his jerkin by the jerksmage. Flashing a begrudging glare of thanks at Hektir, Quinn keeps his attention up the stairwell for further threats.
You hear nothing over the rumbling of the machinery and Pems sees no traps on the stairs that he can check without leaving Hektir's sight.
Hektir slowly counts to 30, waiting to see if the banging continues.
The grinding from above drowns out any chance of hearing any banging...
Quinn tugs on Hektir's sleeve, "Come on, let's get up the stairs before anything opens the door looking for us, let them find an empty stairwell while we gain the high ground."
If Hektir releases Quinn, he grants Pems the Guidance of Cayden to stealthily sneak up the stairs.
Hektir spits and follows Quinn.
"Quinn, before we take to higher floors, perhaps you can look through the door Hektir seems to be eavesdropping on, and see if the columns have made their way into the building?" If not, Tsin follows upwards with the others, tentatively. A dragon awaits. At least it can't hear us coming, with all this grinding going on.
Hektir stops, nodding at Tsin's good even better idea.
He does a head nod at the door, turning Quinn back to it.
"Too much time to see through the door, it'll take me a full minute to view the other side and we'll be sitting ducks while we wait for the vision to become clear. Let us sneak away now, while we still can." Quinn looks to Mal for support, sure the old man will advocate for less violence and more living.
The stairs lead some 15-20 feet up, before ending at a door.
At the second doorway Quinn places his hands against the surface and concentrates, letting his mind's eye slowly push through the planks of the door.
You see a long, broad hallway with several boxes and barrels stacked waist high at the end. Sets of double doors open to the east and west.
Malavarius herds the younger whippersnappers up the steps with a flourish of his staff and the mimed threat of a head-knocking. "My but those column-golems are persistent. Do you know I really want one now? Remind me to study how they're made, Zeno, won't you?"
Quinn reports on the large hallway through the door. "Should we nip in here, or continue up another level? I say we keep climbing."
"Only remember we're 'charged' with finding that woman. If we seek to end the dragon, then let's. I recall mention of trolls, and we haven't seen a single one yet." Tsin continues to follow Quinn.
Hektir spits, thinking.
"We gotta find that maiden Quinn. You know the one who will be extremely grateful to be rescued. Why don't we start at the bottom. That way we can also be sure we don't have any backdoor visitors when I'm killing the dragon."
Hektir wants to return to the bottom and see if the initial entry hall is clear. Failing that, hit up the 2nd level and hope for the best.
"If there is a dragon to be faced, I'd rather face it whilst I'm still able bring my strongest spells to bear."
Pems nods at Mal's word. "Let's go."
The stairs lead up to a room filled with a column of clockwork gears that rises right through the ceiling above it. An icy draft wafts from above, and the ticking and ratcheting of the giant clock drowns out any other sound. A flight of steps climbs to a platform where a short ladder is mounted to the wall, leading to a closed trap door in the ceiling just above it. A single door is set in the eastern wall.
Looking through the door, Quinn sees a comfortable suite holding a bed, dresser, chair, and bookshelf. A large mirror hangs on the eastern wall above the bookshelf. A single human woman sits inside
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Pems taps his cap and suddenly a human child stands where Pems was before. He looks at Quinn and raises an eyebrow.
"It's the lady!" Quinn exhales, "Just waiting to be rescued!" Inhaling to fill out his chest and look more manly like Hektir, Quinn reaches to open the door, then freezes as he catches Pems-child looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, yea, right, check the lock first I suppose, heh, I was being a bit hasty." Quickly running his fingers through his hair and arranging his attire, Quinn prepares to set the maiden's heart a-swoonin' carry out the will of Cayden as he seduces liberates the captive.
Hektir spits, thinking that it might be better to leave her safely locked within until they have killed the dragon and liberated the tower.
"Uh, Pems...do we want to leave her in there for now? I worry for her safety."
Seeing Quinn getting ready, Hektir readies to be his wingman, happy to throw himself at any lesser maidens within to allow Quinn a better chance of success.
Chicks dig a wingman. And who's a bettter wingman than a man who can actually *have* wings?
Pems checks the doors and springs any traps or locks needed. Slipping inside disguised as a child, he looks down and waits for the woman to speak first.
As Pemsworth slips into the room, Malavarius remarks quietly (but still loud enough for everyone to hear) to Zeno, "Oh dear me. I do hope she's not actually the dragon with a taste for small children."
"Oh," the woman exclaims with surprise as she sees Pems enter. "What are you doing here, child? How did you get in? If the trolls find you wandering, they could eat you!"
Pems waits a moment, then begins to cry. "I...I'm lost!" he blubbers.
Feeling he's not quite convincing, he stops and peers at the woman. "Who're you?"
"It's the lady!" Quinn exhales, "Just waiting to be rescued!" Inhaling to fill out his chest and look more manly like Hektir, Quinn reaches to open the door, then freezes as he catches Pems-child looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, yea, right, check the lock first I suppose, heh, I was being a bit hasty." Quickly running his fingers through his hair and arranging his attire, Quinn prepares toset the maiden's heart a-swoonin'carry out the will of Cayden as heseducesliberates the captive.
Tsin rolls her eyes as she watches the puffer birds commence their preening. "You do understand, it's likely Solveig and Bella are... you know... doves of a different kind? Nevermind. Quinn, please, by all means."
She tries her best to keep an ear out for any hostiles, but the sound of the gears, and the close proximity of the tower leave her with a false sense of security at the moment. She does, however, roll her eyes a second time, as Pems tries to deceive the woman. She bites her tongue, understanding Mal's light caution may hold a kernel of truth.
"My name is Bella. I'm a singer," she says.
A voice floats into the room from behind Pemsworth, a loud whisper that's really not a whisper at all, "Ask her if she's also a dragon, my boy!"
"My name is Pems. I'm a hero!" Pems smiles at her. "Why are you here, Bella?"
"Bella!" Quinn bursts into the room, "The gods have sent us to liberate you from this cold prison!" Striking a handsome pose, Quinn stands just a step to left and back from Pems, framing the perfect hero montage should the rest of the party join the gathering. "Don't you worry about the trolls, I'll have you know I'm quite proficient at troll slapping."
The woman starts to answer ... "Of course you're a hero. That's very brave of you. The dragon brought me here because he wanted me to sing ..."
She stops as Quinn bursts in, seeming astonished.
"Rescue? Really? This isn't some trick?"
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Hektir spits and waits to swoop in after Quinn goes down in flames.
Just like sweet Beckariah Jae Jenkins. I just bid my time and waited until she started crying...
"Yes, very nice to meet you, I'm sure. Now, if you'll tell us where the dragon is, we can continue. Do you visit it directly, or does it summon you? Do you have more than just the dragon for an audience? Or is it a more personal experience between the two of you?"
"It has the trolls bring me. It's upstairs. Sometimes Granny Nan is there too, but usually it's just the dragon."
"Granny Nan? Solveig spoke of trolls. Is Granny Nan a more respected troll among trolls? Or... a witch?" Tsin begins to grow uneasy.
"She ... watches over the children here. Didn't Pems tell you? I assumed you rescued him."
"Pems is currently using a magical form of deception to appear as a child. He's a quite venerable halfling, who may serve our purpose here in blending in with children with his guise. I shudder to think why children are kept in this building, Bella. Are they here as your choir? Or is that too naive of me?"
Hektir spits, waiting to see what the party wants to do next.
Hero montage spoiled by a litany of rational, Quinn spits in a Hektir fashion, "Ah, heck, that was just a crash and burn, I set you guys up for heroic poses and you bring all the flavor of plain yogurt. I had better luck with Becka!" Frustrated by his party's lack of testosterone, Quinn waits for explanation about this Granny Nan character.
Pems smiles and reverts to his usual form. "Sorry for the deception, miss. I thought it likelier to get truth told to a child than myself."
"I don't know why there are children here, but they don't sing with me. I've only seen them once or twice, but there were a few of them. Oh no, you don't think they're food for the dragon, do you?"
Her voice cracks a little as she finishes her question.