"Secret Cave? Hidden? Treasure!"
Spitter is suddenly rubbing his scaled hands together excitedly.
Pavo and Leng descend the stairs to help guide the man out, showing him it is safe to cross to the front door. He gives a hurried description of how to find the path Hunclay took to his secret lab in the caves up north. "Watch out for wolves, and the dwarf...he may not be dead, but the door is trapped. I think. I saw Hunclay cast a spell on it." Once out the door the servant runs to town without a second glance back.
Suddenly disappointed, Spitter curses.
"Alive? Damn pink-skin's mind is meal-mush..."
Descending the spiral staircase after the crazed servant has fled reveals a messy storeroom loaded with various basic household supplies and food stuffs. A single door leads to a long hallway with passages to the north ending in a door and to the south, where three doors stand along one walls and another door leading west. One of the storage doors has a lock resembling the type from upstairs on the bedroom and chest.
Spitter moves ahead to look at the storage room doors.
"Storage? Yes. Traps! Traps! Traps?"
Spitter sees no sign of traps on any of the three doors, and no signs of locks except the more obvious one to the left.
Spread out and look around. I'm going to try the locked one."
Pavo sets to the locked door. He is confused because he is sure this lock looks like the sort seen upstairs, but does not appear to have the same trap. Nevertheless, he works as if it did have a trap. The lock opens and fades into mystical sparkles.
Within are shelves loaded with magical spell components. Mounds of guano, spools of copper wire, tiny bones, and more are organized thoroughly. An open crate lies on the ground with a wand on top. Just beneath that is a fierce looking helmet and the components for a suit of custom and master-crafted plate mail and an assortment of mundane gear. A perfectly balanced, gleaming giant-sticker is leaning against one corner.
Moving to examine the spell components, Spitter looks at them carefully.
"Wizard stuff. Not too bad organization."
Anything valuable?
"These belong to the pink-skin wizard? Armor? An obviously well-designed weapon? Bah! Are these the dirt-man's...dwarf's...things?"
"Oh yeah, the dwarf. They didn't say we couldn't steal his stuff" Pavo said, with a gleam in his eye.
"Heh, just kidding. Let's go find this dwarf."
Pavo and Spitter find no trace of a trap on the other two doors, nor do they see the now-telltale magical locks. Within the middle door are cleaning supplies. Simple and boring. The third door resists attempts to open it initially, feeling quite like it is stuck. Pavo and Leng exert full strength to pry it open.
There is a loud crashing sound as several thick and empty whine bottles spills out onto the floor. A dwarf clutching one of the bottles sits unmoving on the floor amidst the detritus.
"Awww...purple-scaled luck! He's alive."
Disappointed, Spitter wanders a bit in a bad humor.
Leng leans down to shake the dwarf. "Hello? You alive?"
Snorting and coughing the Dwarf springs to his feet Further scattering the empty bottles.
"WIZARD! YOU BETTER BE DEAD."
He stands just over 4' and appears to be very solidly built. His dark beard and hair are shorter than a typical Dwarf but the beard has numerous intricate braids. Still clutching an empty bottle like a club in his raised hand. Then squinting and leaning forward a bit as he studies Leng and Pavo in turn, he lowers the bottle.
"Humans, but not Humclay." He says the name with both relish and detest. "Where is the conniving, lying, crappy wine drinking,.."His voice trails off when he sees Spitter.
"LOOKOUT A KOBOLD!" He shouts and readies the bottle. "Don't worry I'll get it."
Spitter hisses, then steps behind Pavo speaking clearly in common while pointing his small staff at the ridiculous scene.
"He's alive and STUPID. Typical rock-eater."
"Oh!, you're with them...Well okay. I've seen stranger companions." Then looking about he leans closer. "At least you're not a Gnome. Am I right? Now I have two very important questions. First where is Hunclay? I need to make him scream and die. And second, do you have anything to eat? I've been in here for days. With only a wee drink or two or so for sustenance."
"Aye. He's with us and us with him. So kindly put the bottle down master dwarf. I am Pavo, and this is Spitter, Leng, and Maellyra. Hunclay is gone, likely dead, although you can never be sure with wizards" Pavo said as he spit on the floor. He slipped his pack off and began hunting around inside for a ration. He continued to speak as he shifted the pack contents aside.
"We've been tasked with neutralizing this tower and turning over all property to the town leadership. Now, what are you doing locked in this room?" he asked as he tossed the dwarf a ration.
Tossing the bottle over his shoulder with one hand while catching the ration with the other. The bottle shatters on the floor as the Dwarf quickly wolfs down the meal.
"Mmm, that hits the spot." He looks a little disappointed when he finishes it so quickly.
"Now I must find my armor and weapons. A battle Priest of the Lord of Iron should never be without them for so long. Aye there'll be penance to be paid. Oh, where are me manners I am Wilfried Tugvod War Priest of Gorum. And as to how I came to be here, well it's like this. I was on me way to the Gault border region, several battles there about. Anyway I was going to meet up with an Inquisitor and we were going to hunt deserters. Ah, good times... He smiles and looks as if recalling fond memories.
"Oh, right I was telling a tale. Well I run bookish little fellow being accosted by several brigand types. Poor weapons and ill-kept armor. Shameful I tell you. Well I was about to admonish them when they became rude. So after dispatching the lot of them, no discipline whatsoever. The accosted fellow asks be to accompany him here. It seems he was a merchant book seller or some such. On his way to Belhaim to make a deal with Humclay for what else but a book. Not much for reading meself mind you. Well since his hired help had run off when the brigands showed, and I mean to track those cowards in time...Oh yeah, he offered a fair bit of coin to be his escort. Well a little extra coin is good for many things, am I right? And seeing that I was heading in this direction anyway I accepted the job; So to make a long story longer. We arrived here and him and the Wizard started haggling and speaking about this and that book. I must have irritated old Hunclay buy asking a few questions. So he tells me that there is food and drink down here in the cellar. Well that's when the lure of spirits got the best of me. He suggested I get comfortable and remove me armor and weapons. Now a proper servant of Gorum would never do such things. So I'm sure that milk drinking wizard magicked me. Oh Lord of Iron forgive me. Well then he leads me in here and wizards the door closed. Well I shouted and pounded for a good wile. Then I set about drinking all his stock. And that's when you lot showed up. Oh and thank you for getting me out. Once I get me gear I'll reward ya."
Spitter stares at the dwarf with his mouth open.
"Did he take a breath at all during any of that? Gozreh strike me red-scaled, I'm pretty sure he didn't."
"I don't know. I was rather hypnotized."
Moving past the group and into the hall the Dwarf looks about then heads into the storeroom. Kneeling before the chest containing his armor and gear.
"Lord of Iron I will fight."
He then sets about donning his armor. Five very loud minutes later he stands before you encased head to toe in steel. Your first thought is a moving lump of iron. Looking over the others and shaking his head.
"So you say the wizard is gone. That does mean he's dead right? Your clearing his house sounds like a dangerous task. I owe you a great debt. So I'll help ya. Now as to that reward. A few of you look the worse for wear. Allow me to heal ya."
"You do seem to bleed quite a bit. Have you lot ever thought about another vocation?"
Spitter looks miffed, as much as a scaly dog-faced humanoid can.
"I'm here by divine guidance dirt-eater. The journey is my reward. Gozreh has led me here to...improve my kind's lot in this world."
Strangely enough, Spitter actually looks like he believes that statement.
"Good! You are firm in your belief. It shows you have a fighting spirit. And while your Divine does not like the Lord Iron, I see no reason for us not to get along. Now come I'm sure we can find something around here that didn't belong to the Wizard. A little treasure is always welcome. Am I right? Oh, and maybe some more food."
Spitter nods.
"Yes, well...we were instructed to take note of HIS valuables only. However, if we find something that is not HIS then it would be fair game then..."
"Talk as we walk...quietly. There may be more threats yet to be encountered."
Pavo nodded and turned to continue down the hallway moving past Spitter and stopping to check the three doors next to each other .
"Aye, that's for sure." Wilfried follows the Human with his heavy bladed spear at the ready. Although his voice is low a suit of full plate is hardly stealthy or silent.
"So Mister Pavo is it? You have quite the unusual assortment of weapons there...it looks like you want 'em alive more often than not."
Eyeing the door"Likes to trap things with magic you say."The Dwarf adjusts his boulder helm and rubs his gauntlets together.
"Oh Lord in Iron reveal to your servant any arcane auras."
Spitter frowns and whispers to Leng.
"When did we put him in charge?"
Glancing around the dwarf shakes his head.
"Nope, no wizard tricks about."
He kneels an begins digging into his backpack, eventually pulling out several strips of salted meat. Which he begins to consume rapidly.
"So are you lot of the sneaking about sort or BURST in and SMASH em types?"
The inflection in his voice clearly indicates his preference
Nudging Leng with his little elbow, Spitter whispers again to him.
"You know...he COULD be REALLY useful if we have to fight again. That infernal bear was almost too much for us. Besides...if he dies for real...then we can take his stuff. Right?"
"Excellent points Spitter. Right on both accounts."
"To answer your question Wilfried, we use whatever skills we can, whenever we need them. The best tool for the job, so to speak. And I guess that explains my assortment of weaponry as well. And yes, in my previous work, I brought people in alive...mostly."
As he spoke, Pavo continued down the hallway to the last door and prepares to open it.
"I am adopting a firm wait-and-see attitude," replies Leng to Spitter.
Back to Wilfried, the monk says, "I am not an expert in subtlety."
This ten-foot-square antechamber’s north wall is an artfully wrought locked gate of bright metal that opens onto the larger chamber beyond. The walls of this chamber are covered with strange glyphs and runes, including one enormous word scrawled in one-foot-high letters across the north wall.
Hissing, Spitter looks closely at the runes and words without touching them...not understanding any of it.
"You may want to use that spell of magic discovery again my new stone-eating friend. This looks wizardly-dangerous. Pavo? Could this be a trap of some sort?"
The Steel-clad Dwarf moves forward and peers through gate and studies the writing for a moment.
"Well it ain't Dwarven."
He claps his gauntlets and holds his hands up.
"Oh Lord in Iron reveal to your servant any arcane auras."
No active magical auras can be detected in the room.
"Can't neutralize the place from out here, guess we best go in. I mean the worse that can happen is there's nothing to fight. Am I right?"
He says readying the heavy spear for action.
"I suppose one of you is good with locks? I can only hit em."
Wilfried says hopefully.
"Oh, before we, Lord in Iron willing, get into a scrap. Do any of you need more healing?"
"Pavo? Lock?"
"I'm okay with locks, but I'm better with traps" Pavo said with a grin as he started to take a closer look at the locked gate.
Satisfied with his examination, he pulled out his picks and started going to work.
The lock clicks and the gate gently swings open. After a few moments a voice calls out. "Back to gloat more, Hunclay? And without your usual greeting?" The male voice asks wearily. "You're going to play that game one time too many one of these days. I can't wait. I will slurp your guts like Nidalese noodles on that day."
"Hey, that sounds like a demon captive in a circle," opines Leng. "Boy he's gonna be mad that Hunclay's already dead, at least before he tries to get us to let him out."
"Then the two of us have something in common."
He says as he steps into the room ready for glorious battle
Spitter looks up suddenly, grasping his staff tightly.
"Demon? What demon? Speak up pink-skin! Clarify what you say!"
Around the corner is the edge of a pit. "You're not the wizard. That old fool trusts no one, he would never be accompanied by others." There is a scraping sound. A goat-hoof clops onto the floor, as the pit's occupant struggles to get out. "Uh...a little help?"