Azuk'ai reels from the flames, plodding down on the floor with a moan as the world spins around him. Moaning in pain as his melted skin crakles under his leather armor with every little move or gedture he fishes out a healing potion a quaffs it down.
His skin visibly knitting over as the effects take hold Azuk'ai breathes easyer as his plastic like skin separates itself from the scortched leather. Rising with new strength he looks around the gathered party, "I was still feeling that blow I got on the night of the attack, that flame almost did me in." say admits with downcast eyes, "It was stupid of me not to get my wounds tended, I know. It won't happen again."
Finishing his apology he sets his mind to the business at hand and follow Ayden through the doors. "Melk. You know your way around a prison, maybee it is best that you would guide us?"
Melk calms down a little, with only a slight jitter he takes out his own flask of healing and drinks it.
As he feels the magic work on his body he feels a sense of familiarity, a memory stirs. He looks up, "Ich... I think I know what we need. There must be a Krankenzimmer somewhere." He looks at the general incomprehension, then adds "I mean a place where sick people are sent. In the prison."
'A ward? Okay. Lets have a look at these papers first. We may find a map.'
Aydan takes his own advice and moves into the office, searching the papers with care, gently moving the musty yellowed paper if he has to at all. 'Hell, any information we find is a help. We still know next to nothing.'
Perception:
The papers are administrative records for the running of the prison. Things like ration counts and standard operating procedure forms. There are many, many papers. It will take a few hours, at least, to organize and analyze them. There are some prisoner files in the next room, but their age and fragility makes it difficult to search through quickly. There don't seem to be any maps that Aydan and Azuk'ai can find, but they do stumble across a list of inventory held in the prison. Amongst items of interest listed as being held in the property room is the blade belonging to Kalkaroth, as well as a fairly well-stocked supply of healing potions in the infirmary.
Tanner nods his head in thanks to Aydan for the potion. The pain recedes a bit and he can keep his eyes open. He follows along with his eyes as papers are shuffled, and drawers are searched. Rather then get in the way in the crowded office, he takes the moment to regain his composure.
"Here!" Azuk'ai exclaims holding up a paper and jabbing his finger at it. "The blade! It's in the property room!" he says looking exitedly at the party. "The property room, Melk! Please tell me the layout of this place is at least familiar. Do you have any idea where it is?"
Runyon, dismayed at Tanner's condition, takes advantage of the break to take out her pack and some chymicals. She opens her book of formulae and once again reads down the process for healing medicine, quickly crafting a new healing potion for herself. She then goes over to Tanner and hands him her potion from the cache.
"Here Tanner, put this down. I can continue to craft things but they take a bit, and my infusions only work on me."
"Ja actually. Possessions and evidence were stored in a strongroom in Lepidstadt. It was on the ground floor, not far from the Warden's office. The door was particularly strong and reinforced. Fritsh said once it is ironic that the best door isn't used for the prisoners."
"Right, wardens office... We're in the offices aren't we? So it should be in this area, maybee just down the hall, yeah? Come on, let's see." Nervousness writen all over his features Azuk'ai tosses the papers he was examening back where they were and sets off down the hall. Stoppin at the door he nervously checks it all over to see if theyr in for a surprise if it's opened.
"F@~+!" Azuk'ai suddenly exclaims. "I don't even know what the hell I'm suposed to be looking for!" Turning back to the group they can see that his nervousness is turning into fear. "Do any of you know what we're suposed to look for? How in the nine hells can anyone tell if we're going to get hit by another gust of fire haunting?" he nearly screams at the group.
Tanner looks visibly much better after Run's ministrations. "Thanks for that. I feel much better." He self consciously runs his hand through his hair, feeling some singed ends. "Hopefully, I can be of some use other than drinking potions."
Upon hearing Melk's comments, "Well that is something I might be able to help with. Helped the Professor get into places people tried to...dissaude us from."
Azuk'ai carefully treads down the hall, looking for more signs of ghostly activity. His previous experience with the undead have taught him that a manifestation is usually preceded by some warning. Usually, it is a sudden drop in temperature, cool enough for a man's breath to cloud the air. After the sudden increase in temperature right before the fireball, it could be anything unusual. He peers down the hall, eyes picking up details despite the darkness. There are no windows here, just another door at the end of a hallway. The thick oak door to his left and this small door are the only ones they can enter without returning to the entryway.
Runyon smiles at Tanner. "I'm sure you'll get your chance. This place, this town, this whole area has thus far been full of strange challenges and odd puzzles. Never know who's going to have an answer or a solution or a great idea next."
The elf then turns and follows Azuk'ai. "I, too, am proficient at...gaining access...to places, though I will bow to any with more experience. It is not a skill I have much reason to practice anymore."
Azuk'ai turns his burning gaze on Run and the fever seems to slide off him as his face scewers up in question. "What? Wha..? No, no. Thats fine." he says taking a calming breath. "Sorry, sorry. Just give me moment to center myself. Let's see.. A change in temerature, either a drop to freeze ones breath or an increase like before. Those are sure signs." he pauses a bit as if listening to the wind with his eyes close and his ears twitching ever so slightly testing the air. Suddenlly his eyes snap open and his intence stare is back. "Nope. Don't feel a thing. Let's go." He states and turning on his heel he takes the door knob and opens the door.
Stepping through the door you can hear his voice as if from far away. "Hey, thers a large desk here, this must be his office!"
Melk's impassive gaze carries a note of uncertainty, he follows Azuk'ai's words and actions, but with some worry he turns to Aydan, "Ich... I don't know, maybe. Has he come down with a Fieber? Fever can jump on a man quickly."
Cheered a bit by Run's words, Tanner sees where he can perhaps help and steps up to Azuk'ai, obvious suffering his own form of indecision or anxiety. He lays a hand upon his shoulder and feels the man instantly tense. "Hey. Whoa. Its just me. Don't fret, sure we are in a tight spot, but we just got to think like the Professor. Nothing that we can't work out, and things always work out...Always." Tanner then pulls out his silver flask and holds it out to Azuk'ai. ""Here. It looks like you can use a shot of rye. Its great for finding one's focus."
Tanner's reassuring hold on Azuk'ai's shoulder and his words seem to drain much of the confusion and indecision that had seemed to grip him as if comforted by....for just a moment, the Professor with his wisdom and patience comes to mind.
Azuk'ai peers into the room behind the heavy door. It is a spacious room with a large desk in the middle. The entire room stinks of mildew and rot, the musty air flooding Azuk'ai's nose. The room is lighted by the large (though still barred) window on the south side. A narrow alcove on the northwest side contains a closed safe. Thick layers of dust cover everything in sight, including yellowed papers lying on the desk. Like everything in the cursed prison, it appears strangely abandoned, as if the entire prison seized suddenly and left everything in a state of half-finished incompleteness.
Tanner enters the room and stands before the safe. He cocks his head to the side as he runs a hand through his singed hair. "Heh. And there I was just saying how I used to get into places the Professor needed...but safes? No..I am not that good, and it wasn't like we were criminals or anything. Maybe a key in the desk?"
Tanner gets behind the desk and proceeds to give each drawer a thorough search, knocking and tapping anywhere a space might be concealed in a false bottom or hidden compartment.
"Ich hope we don't have to stay here very much longer," Melk's smile scoots from wall to wall as he expects more things to spook him at any moment. Still, Melk follows Tanner's lead, giving a shake and lifting as Tanner instructs.
Accepting the flask Azuk'ai takes a swig of it and swallows, shuddering as the liquid burns down his throat he gives a low growl and covers his mouth. Giving back the flask as Tanner steps up in front of him Azuk'ai gives the room a once over before stepping over and examenig the safe.
"Sturdy though, ain't it." He surmises and pats the safe as if patting a child on the head. "Let's see if I can get it open." he says and puts his ear to it's door, giving the handle a rattle. Taking out a leather pouch he opens it up and takes out lockpicks in various sizes. Selecting two he sticks them into the key-hole and starts ratling tumblers.
"Dammnit!" he snaps in tune with one of his picks snapping. [b]"There's no way I can get this open. Any luck on the key?"[/ooc]
Runyon tries to assist in looking around for a combination, or a key, or any other thing that might be of use, calling on what memory she has of studying old buildings and common tropes in architecture in an effort to think of where such items might be hid. She doesn't appear to have any more luck than the others, though. After watching Azuk'ai fight with the safe, the scientist gives a grim look about her, then pulls a vial out of her coat, unstoppering it and drinking it down. It is a color orange that does not occur in nature -- bright and bizarre, and unsettling in its snot-like viscosity. As soon as the liquid disappears, the tall elf lets out a weird choking noise, then grows in musculature and poise, just like two nights ago. Her body shifts and adjusts, bones grinding and joints creaking as they reform to support new muscle and get thicker and stronger. She now has the sleek, trim form of a runner or scout.
"Step aside, Azuk'ai, let me try." Even her voice is changed, become huskier and somewhat strained. She cracks her knuckles, and with a determined look, sets about attempting to open the safe. "...we need this too badly to stop now..."
With a satisfying *KLIK* the tumblers give and the safe opens, and Marilwenn finally remembers to breathe.
As the door swings open, Runyon peers inside to see what contents the warden kept in his safe. The interior is well-organized, built with several shelves and cubbies. Most of them are empty save some yellowed documents that appear legal in nature, but there is a fairly large bag inside one. She lifts it out, the familiar jangling of coins a welcome sound. She looks inside to see a large number of gold coins. They are old, minted decades ago from their style. The bag is heavy with the weight of its valuable contents. In addition, the safe contains half a dozen potions. The ink on their lables is long faded, but that matters little to the alchemist. Run can tell that three are potions of cure light wounds, two are remove disease, and one is lesser restoration. Finally, the safe contains a wooden box with a pair of goggles inside. The crystal lenses are thick, but they seem extraordinary clear for their age.
Atop the desk, the others root through the warden's papers. Two documents stand out: an execution order for Kalkaroth, dated to occur the day of the fire, and a written report from Hean Faramin regarding the condemned man's mental state. The report calls for Warden Hawkran to order a stay of the execution.
Melk's eyes grow wide (relative to his norm at least) as he sees the results of Run drinking her potion. "Teufel! - " slips from his lips, though he calms down a bit when he notices that the others seem quite undisturbed by her new form. Curious he takes a close look at what she does, paying attention more to her body and movements than the actual cracking of the safe.
At Melk's hissed curse, Tanner's head snaps up, connecting sharply with the desk that he is currently under. He peers out and sees a twisted and elongated form of Run. WHAM! He hits his head again as he struggles to climb out quickly from beneath the deck. Rubbing his head, he looks from Run to the others. Melk seems disturbed. I mean, look at her!, but still no one seems surprised.
I need to learn more of what the Profesor's friends are capable of. I know a good place to start. What?
But he loses his train of thought as it appears Run actually opened the safe.
His jaw still hanging a bit open, "Umm..that's an impressive talent."
"Thank you, Tanner." Run says absently. "Really more an application of discoveries made via studies into Anatomica Arcana, but some of my own arcane gifts are required to finish the mutagen, indeed. Gentlemen, more potions! More healing, a potion of restoration and disease removal." The now-athletic alchemist sets the potions down and then looks more closely at the goggles. She takes out her magnifying glass to admire the workmanship and hopefully gain insight as to what, exactly, they are for; "...and what are you, my lovelies?" she whispers under her breath, clearly excited at the find. She seems, for the moment, to have completely forgotten why the party is in the property room to begin with.
Runyon frowns as she analyzes the goggles. They are of fairly fine craftsmanship, with thick leather straps held in place by metal buckles. The crystal lenses are thick, far thicker than they need to be to get gain any discernible improvement in vision. She places the goggles to her eyes, looking around the room with them. To the others, her dark elven eyes are magnified several times over, giving her an utterly alien appearance when combined with her natural lankiness and her mutagenic enhancement. She peers around the room, noticing that they don't seem to be warping the room and concluding that they must not have any curvature. However, she does notice that close-up small details are far sharper than before when she looks back at the safe, picking out the small details of the safe's locking mechanism where she could not before. She takes them off to make sure, bringing them up and down several times before she makes her conclusion that they are a magical item. She believes them to be an inexpensive magical item, but a magical item nonetheless.
"Marvelous! These are a tremendous find. Azuk'ai? Tanner? Who is our most skilled lockbreaker and trapsmith? These goggles will greatly aid anyone who needs to see tiny things and intricacies in sufficient detail as to perform fine manipulations upon them. Whoever of us is most skilled in those arts would probably gain greatest benefit from their use."
Tanner just looks at her with a deadpan expression. The woman just friggin' cracked a safe! He holds his hands up to refuse as he shakes his head with a very wry smile, "Not for me. They look good on you Run, really bring out your eyes. But its between you and Azuk'ai"
Stepping aside Azuk'ai stares wide eyed at Run as her physiqe changes and evolves, admireing her new curves despite himself. "uh.. sure Run." he manages as she sets to the safe. As the safe door gives a satisfying clink and swings open all he can do is stare in slack jawed amazement.
Loosing himself in watching her do her thing, rumanging almost playfully through the contents of the safe, swirling the potions and trying on the googles he snaps back as she addresses him. "Well, uhm.. I have studied such things and eh.. Well, I thought I was pretty good at it but eh, now, I'm thinking maybee your better. How the hells did you manage that!?"
Aydan had followed his comrades along as they chatted and explored the dusty complex, he however felt to oppressed by the fearful environs to add much to the conversation now.
'I'm-' he croaks, his voice rendered poor by the dust and lack of use, he swallows before continuing more smoothly. 'I'm happy to cede them to Akuz'ai. I have some training with locks and such, but its never been my speciality.'
Aydan stands over the desk and reads the documents pertaining to Kalkaroth. 'Say has anyone ever heard of the name Hean Faramin?'
Melk nods, the enthusiasm a well-spring of his craggy features, "Das ist gut, ja. Very well!" The surge of success helps buoy his previously flagging spirits. He motions along the structure, "Wir continue, ja?" He leads the way out.
Melk swings the door open to the next room, finding an old washroom. The sunrod's light bounces off old cracked mirrors, but the room is clearly empty. A small room with chamber pots lies on the other side of an interior wall. The bare walls and floors suggest that there is nothing worth looking at in this room, at least not for their purposes.
Melk moves into the old washroom, despite its mundane appearance he still seems fascinated. "Dies is at least twice the size of the one in Lepidstadt." His voice carries a far off harmonic, as if he's just speaking out loud what's in his head. "I used to spend a lot of time in here. There." A bit self-conscious he rubs his eyes.
Run smiles at Azuk'ai. "This mutagen, the one I drank, it increases my manual dexterity by 25%, and since I've also spent some time doing cryptanalysis and lockpicking and codebreaking and the like, it assisted me just enough to do the job. "Truth be told, though, I do believe I got a bit lucky; I really wasn't certain if the second click was a click or some other sound echoing in this ruin of a building. Hrm. Well, since Aydan has demurred and I know that you're more naturally skilled at lockpicking and safecracking than I am, you take the goggles. We can always trade or whatever at a later date. But for now it seems you'll get the most immediate use out of them, and that's my main concern.[/b]"
The alchemist watches as Melk steps out and speaks about the washroom. She is pointlessly shuffling papers around, clearly a bit agitated as she mumbles to herself. "...a stay of execution? but why? what could he have determined to make him advise the warden so...?" Suddenly she addresses the others. "We still haven't located the property room, yes? The place where the knife would most likely be? And no maps of this place, or anything like that? "
'I think this Hean Faramin is an individual we should watch out for more. He clearly had ties with Kalkaroth, and the fragments of the professors journal say that he died here with the rest in the fire,' Aydan says, looking at Run his own mind running apace.
He then moves into the washroom and gives it a quick search.
'Lets go back down the hall shall we? We need to find this equipment room.'
He leads the way back to main room, entering it warily, before heading over to the smaller door in the corner and trying to open it.
"Well, you did good Run. Real good. Oh, and can I have one of those healing potions please, I'm still burned and bruised from our welcome party last night and the furnace we met when we entered here." Azuk'ai accepts the googles and places them on his head, the lenses resting comfortably on his forehead.
Gulping down the potion hungryly Azuk'ai's skin visibly smooths over and he breathes a content sigh as he lowers the vial and smacks his lips. "Sweet.. tastes sweet.."
Revitalized by the potion Azuk'ai's eyes are visibly brighter and his step lighter as he follows after Ayden to explore the forsaken prison.
Melk follows Aydan, back into the previously haunted room. He's a bit apprehensive about the room - apparently ready to rush out of the room at the first sign of... well... anything unusual.
Tanner follows, also eager not to spend time in the entrance chamber. But he catches himself pausing anyway to try to see where exactly the flames came from. Suddenly realizing what he is doing, he moves on, hoping he doesn't see where the flames come from.
Aydan bravely pushes the door open, waiting for the unearthly wail of the burning prisoners, but it does not arrive. He peers down a long, dark corridor. In the corners of the room, just as his eyes arrive, there is a faint flicker of movement, but it is gone before he can barely even register it. Another wooden door stands closed ominously on the other side, though it appears heavily reinforced.
Aydan moves cautiously downt he hallway here, looking for signs of danger and creeping along warily as he approahces the barred door. Upon reaching it he searches around it, and if he determines that it is safe tries to open it. Lady guide me and keep me safe.
Azuk'ai is content to follow after Ayden, letting him take the lead in the exploration of these ruins, keeping an open eye for movement or danger Azuk'ai strains his senses as he tryes to percieve danger from every angle.
"Looks promising. Heavy door, might be the evidence storage...or maybe the guards' weapon storage."
Tanner will walk up the hall to give the door a good examination.
The door definitely seems safe, though there are a number of marks as if someone tried to use a sword to cut their way in unsuccessfully. The thick door is reinforced on its side and bottom with dark worked metal. The door has a large keyhole, though it appears somewhat damaged and split open through tampering. The carpet on the floor is long decayed, with only a few strands of fiber left. In its place, a thick layer of dust stands undisturbed except by the five adventurers.
Though not blessed with darkvision like Azuk'ai, Marilwenn's elven eyes are still quite keen in this dim light, and she catches a flicker of a shadow from back the way they came. Despite being currently possessed of superior speed and reflexes thanks to her mutagen, the unnatural stealth and silence of their...pursuer? quite unnerves her. She speaks a little too loudly, and a little too quickly.
"Gentlemen! Oh...oh no. I...did you see? Back there?!" She hisses. She is ashamed to see her hands, normally so steady, are clammy suddenly, and shaking. Get a grip on yourself, woman! You are a scientist! You know what these things are! Oh, but the difference between studying in a library, and being face to face with your own possible death...the burning wall...the black blade...
The Alchemist gulps, almost comically, and points at where she saw the shadow. "Gentlemen, there; I s-saw something there. A shadow, a f-figure moving quickly around back the way we came. Oh no."
Tanner had been studying the door, but whips around at Run's words, determined not to be bathed in flames again. The wildness of his action has his walking stick collide with Aydan as he spins. Sheepishly, "Sorry 'bout that."
He peers back the way they came but sees nothing. He concentrates, trying to make out a shape, but sees nothing. A quick nip at the flask, he mutters to himself, "You'll get out of this, you always do." and his nerves calm a bit.
"Yup, I saw that." Azuk'ai says with a dangerous tone in his voice, calmly reaching for a magical arrow to nok on his ready bow. "A shadowy figure for sure."
Adopting a half crouching stance Azuk'ai silently stalks back to the end of the hall with his bow leading the way, placing his bach against the wall by the doorway he quickly sneaks a peack down the direction the figure disapeared.