Dropping his ready stance, the knight silently follows behind Lysander, spearing the creature as he nears it after the verbose alchemist. Nodding at the idea of point, the knight adds, "Teeth and claws dislike my armor."
As the argument about giant spiders breaks out, Daubeny removes his helmet for the conversation. "There is nothing wrong with keeping your edge honed for combat, but every warrior needs moments of rest and respite. Let foes roam the battlefields, not the farm fields." Glancing at his helm, he shrugs and returns it to his skull. "Danger is present everywhere, one can simply minimize the risks. Every people simply does so in different methods."
Giving the door a light kick with his boot, the large man shakes his head. "Sturdy. Alexandra's correct."
"Maybe together you and I can get it open Daubeny?"
It does appear that, should we succeed in effecting this entry, of which I do not doubt your capability, we will find a second and more difficult barrier. Namely an additional... Lysander furrows his brow and thinks hard for a minute ...pile of rubble blocking the stairs... A look of relief passes on his face. Such that our ventures would be pursued more successfully along a different route. Perhaps our comrade's interest in pursuing a vertical route was correct all along? Lysander keeps holding out the rope to Amelia.
The door is blocked with tons of rubble so another avenue up will have to be found.
"I may need to be carried, or assisted. Climbing wasn't something I learnt to do. I'm willing to use my magic to help in our situations, be it providing light or some small attacks. In return, I'd appreciate some help in regards to my own weaknesses, strength being one of them."
"It's not really such a bad climb. come with me and we can climb it together.", Iraonar says then he steps up to the base of the rubble and starts strumming his harp. he waits for Alexandra to start his ascent.
Sadly, he fails utterly to climb the rubble. Miraculously he doesn't miss a note.
Amelia will climb back up and then lower a rope for the others.
Alexandra watches the man in front of her begin a happy tune before he realises she isn't coming and changes his tune to a sadder note as he dejectedly climbs the rubble.
She crosses her arms impatiently.
"I'm going to need more than a serenade to make that climb. I appreciate the thought though, and your musical talent truly is beautiful. However my needs are physical, not artistic. I'm sure you understand."
Once the rope is secured, Lysander calls up to Amelia:
My gratitude for your most felicitous assistance!
He turns to Alexandra:
I believe you will find this catenary a sufficient aid to traverse this obstacle vertically.
Lysander slowly and methodically climbs the rope to the second floor.
"The longer you dally down there, the more likely that evil will escape!"
"To what evil do you refer?",inquires Iraonar.
"Places like this are always filled with evil cults, or evil wizards summoning demons, or things like that."
Alexandra sighed in defeat. She would remember this for next time.
Awkwardly stepping over rubble, she tried not to step on her coat or winner gown.
At least the rope is silk. Hemp might have damaged my hands She thought begrudgedly, making her way up the pile of debris.
As the rope falls, Daubeny waits for Alexandra to climb first, before heaving his armored body up on the rope. "Try not to fall. Hard to catch."
Once the whole party reaches the second floor, Lysander reclaims his rope then begins searching the immediate environment with an attempt at stealth.
Through the cunning use of rope everyone makes it up to the second floor.
Two doors lead into the tower. Lysander pronounces the safe.
Lysander stealthily moves towards the north door and attempts to open it carefully and quietly, peeking through the door as it opens, if it opens.
Judging from the shelves lining the walls, this darkened room might once have been a storeroom, though its contents have long since succumbed to the passage of time. A crack in the northern wall has apparently let in come rainwater, which has collected in a large puddle on the floor.
Amelia moves past Lysander and into the room, then takes a peak through the hole in the wall that water is coming out of.
Amelia stops dead in her tracks as she moves into the room.
Sitting on the other side of the room is a 3 foot long lizard with bright green scales. The creature moves forward and then sits there looking at you as if expecting something.
Lysander racks his brain for his considerable knowledge of natural creatures but comes up empty.
I find myself ignorant of the properties of this anomalous reptile!! We must prepare for hostilities should the need arise!
Lysander moves just into the room and west of the doorway to clear the way then readies an action to throw a bomb at, or near if the splash damage of a direct hit would damage an ally, the creature should it take any hostile actions.
figuring that it's hungry, Amelia will pull out some dried meat and toss it to the critter.
Iraonar steps just behind Amelia to get a look at what she's doing. Upon spotting the lizard he exclaims,"Hay he looks just like Hair Drezzer, My pet lizard! Don't pet it or your hair will be absolutely ruined. And I don't know about you, but the people who packed bag completely forgot my brush."
"While that anecdote is fascinating, anything about say if it's aggressive or dangerous or hostile?"
Though Alexandra was smirking on the inside.
She'd packed her brush.
"All animals are dangerous if given cause to be."Iraonar tells Alexandra."But these guys tend to be pack hunters. I suspect once princess Amelia finishes feeding it she'll have a new best friend. I'm kind of surprised we found one alone."
He then whispers to Amelia "Once you can get it to eat out of your hand you should be good to pet it."
Lysander relaxes somewhat but still holds his bomb at the ready.
Fascinating! Cross-species manipulations of social structures could result to our advantage! What, pray tell, are the name and properties of this intriguing creature?
Iraonar slowly steps back to the group in the other room and tells Lysander,"The answer to both questions is, it's a shock lizard."Then as he notices the bomb he adds with worry, "Now please stop trying to bring the building down on every poor animal we come across."
Stepping into the room with the others, Daubeny keeps an eye on the lizard. "Caution is often the difference between life and death. A lack of it got me captured."
Alexandra gave a small laugh at Iraonar's comment about Lysander's bombs. These people were vastly different to her, in personality and most probably in ethics, but they were entertaining and helpful to have around at the very least, and each was beginning to be seen in a better, less expendable light.
Even if she was for the time being a very good-looking, charming, intelligent, graceful, mysterious, *continues for a while*, magical lantern, she was beginning to see why each of them had been chosen. They made up for what lacked in the others.
She still wasn't going to share her hairbrush though.
The lizard take the treat back to the nest that it has made on the west wall and begins to chew on it.
Seeing that the creature is sated, Amelia begins moving to the next door while watching the lizard to make sure it doesn't attack her.
Lysander disassembles his bomb, carefully rendering the components inert. He too keeps an eye on the lizard while staying close behind Amelia.
Following closely behind Amelia and Lysander, Daubeny holds his bardiche loosely in his right hand. The knight switches glances between the lizard's nest and the door.
Alexandra puts the others between herself and the lizard while also heading over to the door. She keeps an eye out for eggs or other such garbage that animals tend to be protective of so she doesn't tread on any by accident.
She wondered what time it was. Her normal routine at night would be to bath, moisturize, and brush her hair 100 times. It was what all noble women were taught to do. Her brush and mirror were a matching set.
Anyone who broke her mirror would have much worse than 7 years bad luck, they'd owe Alexandra a new grooming kit.
She looked at Amelia's hair and grimaced. She would need more powerful tools.
Alexandra algo decided to take some time away from thoughts of personal grooming to survey the room better. She also once again dismissed and summoned her lights. She needed a longer light spell... Like light.
She gazed around, apparently bored with the whole situation. She never really observed her surroundings before, they had just always been nice. High ceilings, stained glass, hand carved wooden doors and accents, paintings, tapestries, chandeliers. They were in every room. She guessed she had just stopped observing one day, since everyday was the same decor. At least to her.
Though even she could tell this place needed a lick of paint and some new furniture. New everything really.
She even began considering if this would work as a holiday home with the proper renovations.
Lysander moves to the door and examines it for hazards.
Iraonar wanders after the group, giving the room he passes through a bit more attention.
"By little lizard."He says absently as he passes."We'll be back to carry you off on our whirlwind adventure in a bit."
The lizard finishes his snack and moves towards Amelia. Sparks crackle around the horns on its head as it sits there waiting.
The door does not seem to be trapped or locked.
Lysander attempts to stealthily open the door a few inches and peer into the next room.
Daubenyy looms over Lysander's shoulder, ready to drag his less metal clad ally to safety.
As the lizard waits for more food Lysander opens the door and peeks inside.
Light from behind him shows racks of weapons lining the walls. Above the racks hang various shiels, pieces of armor, weapons, and standards.A horrible stench fills the room as well, Akin to the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the reek of an open sewer.
Lysander spots two Troglodytes throwing javelins at him. Fortunately he is able to keep the door in between them and the throws miss.
Lysander yells back to his comrades
Some variety of hostile cave-dwelling creatures!
He pushes the door open, stepping through so as to barely clear the doorway without getting unnecessarily close to the troglodytes while mixing the components of a bomb, which he throws at the lizard to the northeast and dealing splash damage to the other.
Amelia will toss the lizard some more food, and then cast Divine Favor on herself.
"How do you know there cave dwelling if you don't know what they are?"Iraonar asks, perplexed as he watches the shock lizard eat.
Unable to resist an epistemological question, Lysander turns to the idle royal.
A valid and intriguing question! Granted my suggestion of a subterranean characteristic habitat is merely a hypothesis based upon several observations. Namely, the following three. First, the large eyes of these newfound belligerents suggests adaptation to low-light conditions. Second, the relatively moist skin suggests a lack of adaptations to conserve the body's water content, as would be unnecessary in the humid environment of a subterrane. Third and finally, we have encountered these beings in an area that mimics my hypothesized environment being enclosed from the elements and rather dark. Admittedly, I am ignorant of the speciological identity of our current opponents but from their deployment of projectile weapons towards myself I would suggest that a more direct course of action on your part may prove appropriate.
The knight slaps his helm with an armored hand, producing a loud clang. "Argue zoology after they're dead." By Pharasma's timeglass, are most royals this easily distracted?
Sprinting through the open door, Daubeny brandishes his bardiche. "Pass if you dare."
"We are the ones breaking into there home you know."Iraonar says to Daubeny as if Daubny simply didn't notice. He then suggests,"Perhaps we can talk to them. Apologize for our intrusion and become friends, or at least not enemies."
Amelia seems unsure what to do here, looking back and forth between Daubeny and Iraonar.
Daubeny gives Iraonar a withering look, even with his eyes hidden by his helmet. "Home by squatter's rights perhaps. Would you greet a surprise guest by hurling a spear?" Tightening his grip on his weapon, he adds, "Let me know if you oppose having your throat slit with a spear head." The only place civilized people do that is war, and that's hardly a civil affair. Though it does make for a good support of the coffers.
Lysander turns his attention back to their opponents while speaking back to Iraonar.
Indeed I must concur with our de facto military consul. Though our incursions may be deemed troubling, rude, or even potentially hostile they certainly do not merit the immediate use of lethal force. Indeed very few penal codes authorize the use of lethal force against a home intruder without warning or immediate and obvious danger to the inhabitant. Further, we are hardly home intruders given we had no reason to believe this residence, which is not likely owned by these inhabitants, held any humanoid creatures. If you can convince our present opponents of the merits of a non-violent solution to this confrontation, do so quickly. Otherwise, we will meet lethal force with its like.