After the magic fades Iona takes a few more moments to look Viktor over, not rushing. She gives a nod and smiles to the paladin. "I think you'll be just fine." She told him.
Walking over to the southern door you find a large room that has seen to serve as a kitchen. Old blood stains the floor of this cavern. Barrels filled with scraps of fur and fat sit against one wall, emitting a foul stench. The two long stone slab tables are covered with skinning tools and piles of freshly butchered meat. Two wooden racks hold drying animal skins. Both Bakji and Nicholas notice the same high quality dagger that is being used as a carving knife. With a close inspection, you call tell that this dagger would be of masterwork craftsmanship.
Nicholas double checks to make sure the meat being prepared wasn't humanoid in origin, assuming it isn't he lifts the dagger. "This is of surprisingly good quality, if anyone else wants to use it that's fine by me but otherwise I may hold onto it."
Nicholas tries to identify the meats, but at this stage of the butchering it is very hard to know what came from what. As far as he can tell, there is no type of meat that he is used to seeing. As for the possibility of humanoid meat, there could be some, but probably not from surface species.
Nicholas uses prestidigitation to clear the dagger "I'm not sure what exactly that meat is so I think we should leave it be."
"I wouldn't touch it either way to be honest..." Iona said with a simple shrug. "Unless I know what it is, I'm not eating it."
Viktor will let the others check the door for magic/traps, then barring any problems he tries for the door.
After it was shown there was no danger from the first door open, Iona moved to back up Viktor as he opened the other door.
Bakji will indeed scour the rooms for the group?
Viktor opens the northern door. Inside, he sees a small room with a stone pedestal holds a copper brazier aloft in the center of this room. Against the western wall, an enormous pile of animal furs and thick quilts serves as a bed. Sheathed weapons and stone carvings adorn the walls. The eastern half of the room holds a wooden desk, beneath which stands a long, thin iron lockbox. Bakji inspect the room, and aside from what is in plain sight, he finds nothing else.
Nicholas will inspect the desk for traps before trying to open any drawers or compartments to check for any useful items or documents.
Viktor makes sure the room is clear, then stands guard at the door as the others search the room.
While Nicholas went though the desk, Iona focused more upon the lockbox under it since Viktor was watching the door. She tried it first to see if it was indeed locked.
Nicholas and Viktor don't find anything else in the room. Iona gets to the lock box and test to see if it is locked. She is unable to open it and from the look of the lock, it seems to be a good quality one.
"Unless someone can open the lock will we just smash it open. Even if it's something fragile but useful like healing potions better for them to be destroyed than left in enemy hands."
"I must agree... I've no way to open this lock." Iona said with a sigh as she stepped away from the lockbox.
Viktor gives a chuckle, then comes over with his warhammer.
Viktor smashes the lockbox open after a few applications of his Warhammer. With the box no longer locked , you are able to take a look inside. There is a small leather pouch containing an assortment of gemstones, two scrolls, and a long, thin darkwood sword case. Under all that, you also find a note.
"Thank you Viktor." Iona said with a nod before she looked inside. She began to take out each the the items, passing the scrolls off to Nicholas. Then she took out the darkwood sword case and noticed the note. Picking it up she read it out loud, when she was finished she looked at the sword case. "Yaniel's sword?" Iona muttered as she set down the note and moved to open the case.
Opening the case, Iona finds inside a breathtaking longsword, a weapon of obviously superior craftsmanship with a razor-sharp blade that appears to be made of shining gold.
Bakji nods "Tis a good find, I'd recommend someone wield that and lets be on our way before something else ends up happening down in this accursed hole." he says before looking for the next door out and hoping to find a way back up towards the sky again.
"Lets head back up to that place near the entrance, maybe we can find the way out up their if we are fortunate."
Iona slowly and gently lifted the sword from the case, running her hand down the flat of the blade. "It's beautiful." She breathed as she looked it over. "If they wanted it we need to ensure to keep it out of their hands." Iona said with a small nod.
With no other exit, the group walks back to the level above. From there, they still have two doors that they haven't tried.
Bakji simply makes his way to one of the doors and leans slightly against it. He gives Viktor and Iona a look and a slight gesture as if to say, I open you rush.
Once he feels the others are in line with the plan, he counts it down with his fingers and flings the door open before flattening against the wall to allow the two armored fighters through.
With no one disagreeing with her, Iona turned her attention to the sword itself and did her best to find what secrets it held.
"Nicholas, could you come here for a moment?" Iona asked when she saw magic upon the sword. "Can you tell me what this sword holds?" She asked as she handed it off to him.
"Of course." Nicholas cast's detect magic and studies the blade to try and divine it's secrets and abilities. Taking the blade he raises an eyebrow. "Curious..."
Nicholas studies the blade for a moment. While he is able to see that the blade has a strong abjuration aura, he is unable to identify its properties.
Bakji leans against the door. He starts formulating a plan to proceed when the smell of something rooting gets to his nose. If he is able to smell it from this side, he can only imagine what it smells on the other side.
"This is very strange, I can definitely see protective magic woven about it but the exact properties elude me. It is of very intricate construction."
"I am ready to proceed whenever ye feel it is wise to do so." Nicholas hands the blade back to Iona.
"Well if we get some downtime we can take a harder look at it." Viktor says with a shrug. He looks at Bakji curl his nose up and arcs his brows in response, then covers his mouth and nose with a hand and opens the door.
"Agreed. Till then I'm going to ensure we get it out of here. By using it to cut down all who stand in our way." Iona said with an unyielding tone of voice.
Viktor opens the door and sees a narrow hallway slopes downward steeply. The walls are stained with foul-smelling streaks of refuse. A mound of rotting garbage lies heaped at the far end of the hallway.
Iona's nose wrinkled at the smell as she shook her head. "That... is rotting garbage... I think... we can skip this room..."
"Agreed, let's move along and see if we can find a- uhm better route."
Bakji despite his better judgement, gives the room a quick once over.
Provided nothing catches his keen eyes, he quickly makes his way to the other door and opens it once Viktor and Iona are ready to burst through and provide cover for himself and Nicholas.
Taking a few seconds to look at the room, Bakji notices some movement at the back of it. Something seems to be hiding under the garbage.
Bakji holds up a hand as people start to dismiss the room.
He steps into the room and draws his blade. "Be you friend or foe?" he asks loudly as he takes a few steps towards the garbage.
Moving forward, Bakji is surprised by how slimy and slippery the floor is. More than once his feet almost slide from under him, but he manages to keep standing. Now closer, he is able to see what was under the garbage. It looks like a blob of protoplasm that is somewhat transparent. Probably some sort of ooze or the like.
Bakji pauses once he can see the creature. He takes slow steps back "Looks like we got some kind of ooze." he says annoyed.
He fails to even start getting back up. He does a small prayer before trying again.
Iona reached into the room, her hand outstretched to allow Bakji to take a hold of it. "Next time Bakji, if nothing answers just close the door." Iona said with a small laugh.
Bakji tries to get out but can't make any progress. He's stumbling around in the garbage seem to have drawn the attention of the creature lying deeper in the room. It starts exploring the disturbance and Bakji identify the creature as a giant amoeba. Worried, he tries again to climb out. This time Iona is there to lend him a hand, allowing him to get out before the ooze got too close. Finally out of the room, he quickly closes the door, but after that little trip, it would seem that the smell is now following him.
Walking back into the first room, the group only has one door left to try now.
"I guess we are going this way then." Takes a deep breath and moves closer to the other door, ready to support whoever opens it.
Viktor closes the door firmly. "No point in fighting those. Just let them be." He goes to the last door.
Opening the door reveals some sort of trophy room. The worked stone walls of this large room hold a number of shelves, each of which display the preserved bodies of dire rats, bats, rock vipers, cave lizards, and other creatures that pose in eerie stillness. A pair of bedrolls has been laid out to the southeast.
Bakji slips into the room and pauses as he looks at the various trophies. It seemed at least that their former leader had some prowess beyond trickery, though he was not displeased with her demise at their hands all the same.
He shook his head and looked at the bedrolls to the southeast and examined them for a moment before looking onwards beyond them. He hoped that this was meant as a staging for perhaps a journey to the above.
Iona stepped in cautiously, looking around the room with every step she took.