Up the spiral staircase and on the second floor you find a huge library stuffed with books and scroll casings. Every wall on this level of the tower is covered in bookshelves, though after a quick scan of the titles any of you that are literacy inclined find that the books are mostly 'penny dreadfuls'. A style of serialized books featuring mostly bad stories populated with square jawed heroes and buxom maidens fighting dark wizards with bad facial hair. The more scholarly bookshelf has more interesting books.
Coming upon a library, Lyrysa can't help but scan a few of the titles, hoping the supposed 'wizard' who lives here might have left his spellbook out. "Hmm, crap, garbage, what a terrible selection of books." Coming upon one set of titles, her interest is suddenly peaked. "What have we here now. So it seems he has a few interesting titles." She leafs through a few pages, then proceeds to see if there's a sack or other such nearby.
Marius moves up the stairs and stops at the top, holding up his hand, he crouches down, frowning at the doors. He turns, pointing towards Slevin, Devon and Dante, before gesturing at the door marked "Office". He turns and points to Ezekiel, then to himself and Lyrysa and gestures at the door marked "Private".
He stands slowly, before moving towards the door, keeping his dagger out and ready.
He reached out to the door handle, turning it slowly, moving against the door, to stifle any sound as he pushed it open a crack.
Office
This door opens into a tastefully adorned office, paneled in oak wood and dominated by a massive desk with several documents in orderly stacks on top of it.
Bedchambers
This is a very large bedchamber, each piece of furniture extremely nice and well fitted to the room. A wardrobe sits across the opposite wall, with a massive four poster bed next to it and a large oaken chest tucked into the corner.
Luckily Marius' light feet cause no noise on the rugs to be heard by the older wizard within, who sits at a small table near the bed looking at one of the penny dreadfuls with a large owl perched on a small peg near him.
Smiling softly to himself, Marius begins to creep forward slowly, his dagger poised and ready. 'I'll gut him then the Owl. Owl stew for dinner!'
Grinning, he crept closer, raising his dagger to strike.
Marius struck, his hand darting forward like a viper.
He slammed the knife hard in to the mans back, above his lung, twisting hard and fast.
"Is that you Blacker-" The older man's voice is cut off and his turn toward Marius abruptly stopped as he recieves a dagger to the back. Had he been unmoving the dagger would have killed him, but his wound seems bad anyway.
Devon:
Marius:
Dantes:
Lyrysa:
Ezekiel:
Warden:
Slevin Devon and Marius before baddie.
Slevin looks through the desk, finding various prison documents and a folded map. One of the drawers is firmly locked. As Slevin begins examining the map he hears the sounds from the other room.
Marius, annoyed at his first failure, tries to strike out at the wizard once more before he's ready.
For
Barely missing unfortunately for him, as the wizard, even though struck by Devon, seems to have gotten his feet.
Warden Matthias throws himself desperately away from the blades and into the last bit of space before he's backed against the wall and then desperately goes through the motions of a spell. A sphere of some sort of spongy substance, clearly aflame, spouts from his finger towards Marius, attempting to strike him.
Ezekiel's arrow is right behind the spell and the warden avoids it handily.
The Warden's owl begins attempting to fly from the room.
Dantes strikes the owl who falls to the floor with a pathetic hoot as his master is assaulted with blows.
The wizard seems to barely remain standing, moving his arm to point at Devon with a snarl of, "Then allow me to correct myself." These happen to be his last words, as when he attempts to cast another spell Lyrysa's magic missile and the rests grouped strikes drop him to the floor before he can finish, though his sphere does manage to roll into Devon first, burning him horribly before winking out.
Seeing the spellcaster drop, Lyrysa restrains herself from charging in to see if her spellbook may be here. Slevin's earlier warnings a cautious reminder, she casts a spell and examines the room, a warning passed to the others. "As before, which Slevin stated, be cautious. All because he's dead, it doesn't mean the room is less dangerous." She spares a worried glance at Marius and Devon, not knowing what she could do for them.
Lyrysa spares a glance at the unconscious body of one of the other escapees. "Can anyone help him? He may yet prove useful. Also be careful of that chest, there is an aura of power about it." Lyrysa will continue to focus on the chest, moving into the room, attempting to determine the nature of the magic.
Ezekiel lowers the bow as the wizard falls. "Well, I expected more of a fight really." He quickly examines the room for any sign of his firearm. As for Devon's state of emergency, "Marius, why do I get the feeling that you can pry open that little box with ease? I think Devon might need something to put him back on his feet."
Devon opens his eyes after Slevin gives him the healing draught.
It is a good thing they deemed me of use, or I would be awaking to different circumstances. I must continue to prove myself so I am not left behind...
"My thanks, sir. I will make sure your decision is proven wise." Devon says to Slevin.
Marius checks the chest over carefully, then opens it with a flick of the wrist. Inside is a large collection of vials and powders. It seems the late Warden was a student of alchemy.
Upon searching the Warden's body, you find a dagger, a gold ring set with diamonds, a vial labelled Healing in careful script, four scrolls, and a small clear rock that radiates magic.