Finn carefully and gingerly returns an urchin to his belt pouch. "We're only here because we tracked one Vanthus Vanderboren here, and we wish to speak with him. It's possible that this is yet another ruse, but for whatever reason, this is where we ended up. Unfortunately, just saying, 'He's not here' isn't going to be enough to convince us that's not what's going on. That's what you'd say if you were hiding him. And attacking us makes us think that you do have something or someone to hide, so that's not working out, either. So how about we drop the illusions, put away our weapons, assess the damage, and you and I discuss next steps over tea? I believe there's a café on the corner. You've clearly put a lot of hard effort in these displays, and we have absolutely no problem with the taxidermy business, so let's find a way to leave that part out and properly protected. Agreed?"
Zstelian picks up the weasel and perches him on a shoulder, "Speak up if you smell anything."
Making sure his headwrap is secure, the Varisian enters the hallway and searches the ground-door for traps.
1d20+10
"Let's see where this goes first."
Sekathral says nothing, slipping through the trapdoor , then examining the way ahead
Zstelian pauses a moment at the question, "I- We- it's complicated", he finally spits out. "I believe he's my familiar. Have you heard of such a thing?"
"Yeah..." Sekathral pauses. "You're a wizard, then, are you? You don't look like the robes and spellbook type, though, and I don't remember you slinging any spells before yesterday... Blame the local grog for that, perhaps." He gives Tosh a sideways glance, smiling nervously as he does so.
Finn: 22
Sekathral: 20
Silvio: 18
Dargon: 18
Kyson: 13
Zstelian: 12
Nemian Roblach: 6
"Attacking you makes you think I've got something to hide? You're crazy even for a gnome! Your friends were invading my home. How do I know you're not trying to lure me to the back, slit my throat and take everything?! And, no, I'm not going somewhere else with you, so your friends can loot my home and business while I'm out! I'm telling you this person you're looking for's not here and you're calling me a liar!"
There appear to be no traps in the passageway or trap door. Opening it, you find a wooden ladder leading down to a natural passageway. You can see moisture dripping from the walls to pool on the rough floor, draining in tiny rivulets to the east. A wooden door beckons to the west.
Kyson, your attempt to walk into where you heard your voice doesn't seem to work -- either your hearing's not that good or the man moved.
"Look," Nemian says. "How's this sound? All of you go outside and bother someone else, and I'll show the gnome around, so he can see there's no one hiding here?"
Torches set in the walls provide faint light as you go down into the damp caverns below the Taxidermist's Hall.
You don't hear anything at the door, which you realize is in fact slightly ajar.
As Dargon, Finn and Kyson step outside onto Water Street, they hear a bolt thrown in the door behind them. The street seems quiet, boarded up buildings alongside the Taxidermist's Hall indicating that this section of Eleder's hit on hard times.
Inside, Nemien suddenly reappears near the door. "This way," he says with a scowl toward Silvio, leading him through the door in the back. "Though I don't know how often I have to tell you there's no Vanthus here."
"Don't touch anything," he snaps as you step into a hallway that runs west before turning back north, toward the front of the building. You see three other doors, as well. "Where do you want to look first? I'd like to get this idiocy over with so I can get back to work."
Zstelian, coming back up into the Taxidermist's Guildhall, you think you hear voices from the hall ahead, though you can't make out any details.
Nemian sighs. "You're dumber than some of those stuffed creatures, aren't you? How many times do I have to say there's nothing here? Anyway, let's get this farce started in the back."
He leads you around the corner, where what looks like it should be a wall has instead swung open. "What the hell?" he exclaims loudly, his voice outraged.
A few moments later you hear an outraged voice cry "What the hell?"
"Your defensive stance tells Silvio that he is on the right path. Now there is to be less stalling. Bring Silvio to Vanthus so he may right the wrongs that Vanderboren has done."
Silvio looks at the wall. "Haha, did you think that you could hide your secrets from Silvio?", the chelaxian says in triumph. "You may lead Silvio past the secret door and to the lap of the lotus.", he continues and gestures for the shopkeeper to enter.
"Oh good, Silvio. What took you so-", Zstelian's words are cut short as the man escorting the duelist casts his spell.
Trying out his new knowledge of magic, the Varisian tries to determine what spell was cast. After a moment of frustration he points and calls out.
"Let's make sure he can't do that again."
The weasel nods energetically and leaps heroically through the air aiming to sink his tiny teeth in the man's throat. Zstelian follows suit bringing his curved blade to bear.
Zstelian Attack
Zstelian Damage
Tosh Attack
Tosh Damage nonlethal
"Ah, Silvio's friends are already here!", Silvio salutes Zstelian and Sekathral. "Wher..", he starts before Zstelian charges the shopkeeper. Displaying his lightning reflexes the chelaxian deftly interposes himself between Nemian and the newly made witch. "There is no need for that. Nemian here was escorting Silvio to meet with Vanthus", Silvio explains. "Now he will escort all of us!"
As Silvio steps in front of Zstelian, stopping the vicious attack, Nemian steps back, pauses a moment and then shakes his head with a sigh.
"Looks like you already found the secret door, so I might as well tell you. The Lotus Dragons pay me to be their eyes and ears. Members come and go, but I've got no idea where Vanthus is. You want to go invade their home and look for Vanthus, be my guest."
"...and so, yeah, Dargon, that's how ink is made." Kyson continues to chitter nervously with Dargon while he waits for Silvio and the others to return.
"And the paper we use is crafted from...blah blah blah...pulped flumph skin...blah blah blah....demons...blah blah blah...an old rusty pitchfork....blah blah blah...under the exact same tunic!! Blah blah....and so I...blah blah blah...'mother, it's my body...'...blah blah blah...onions! Like I said, onions!"