"Or..Or, we could try and find another way into the room. Possibly, a door that is unlocked." Rowane say holding up a hand, "If for some reason we don't find an alternate path, then we can result to destruction of doors."
"I favor Rowane's approach," says Temperance. "We have more to explore."
Huc shrugs and reshoulders his axe. "Alright." He gives the door one last '[i]I'll see you later[i/]' look before ambling back into the main entry way, where he stops at the stairs. "So, the stairs?"
There's no indication of further access to the area behind the stubborn door...at least on this level.
Huc looks up, then down the stairs. ”I say down first. Any other thoughts?”
The staircase winds down into a set of three interconnecting rooms cluttered with stacked crates and chests containing only mundane household supplies--nothing of particular value seems to be stored here. A single door in the west wall offers access to the remainder of the cellar.
Fynn shadows Arien around the room, sniffing at boxes and shadows for any possible threats. As she begins work on yet another door, the mutt sets down on his haunches as it takes up a protective position of his ward.
"Do you suppose Hunclay used unseen servants to move things around? Tiny golems?" Temperance taps the staircase, then takes a sip of wine.
"Don't know. I reckon we'll see." He hefts his axe, "Tiny golems we can likely handle. magic servant thingies? No idea."
The door is not trapped. Opening it reveals a U-shaped hallway opening to the west, with several doors.
Fynn pads behind her, tongue lolling out and dripping saliva. Huc brings up the rear, trying to stay alert on what has been the easiest payday ever ... at least so far.
The hallway appears to be free of traps, as are the east and middle doors. Arien detects a magical trap on the westernmost of the doors in the north wall, but it yields to her efforts to disarm it.
That leaves the door at the end of the hall.
"Damn good work, Arien," Huc whispers, "We gonna open'em up?"
Huc grins, waits for Arien to take a few steps back, then swings the western door open.
The newly untrapped door opens to reveal a small storeroom. In it is a considerable quantity of valuable spell reagents, and supplies for magical research.
Huc gives the room a quick search, both mundane and magical.
There is nothing magical in the room, nor does the hunter find anything concealed.
Boredom creeps back into Huc's features. "Well, then..."
He continues assisting Arien however he can, ready for when or if Hunclay's home throws a threat at them.
Neither of the other doors is locked. When Arien opens the middle door, a wave of frigid air, laden with condensation, rolls out along the floor. The party instantly prepares for a fight, but none is forthcoming. As the fog clears, all can see that the far wall is a mass of ice, and the rest of the room contains numerous well-frozen sides of beef, butchered mutton, poultry, fish, and the like.
It takes the combined efforts of Rowane, Huc, Arien, and Fynn to restrain Master Temperance after Arien opens the easternmost door...it's the wine cellar. Hunclay apparently set a fine table, as the cellar is stocked with many fine and rare vintages from across the Inner Sea.
"...this is my library," protests Temperance, his eyes rolling at the sight of so many wines. "Each vintage, a stanza. Put them together, they are a rolling epyllion of grace, tumbling out, each draught revealing tercet after tercet..."
Huc unsuccessfully tries to follow Master T's words. "I don't know. Looks like wine to me."
He shrugs, "Alright. Next door?"
The door at the end of the south branch is easily seen from where the party has been examining Hunclay's storehouses, and it is visibly different from the storehouse doors. It is made of blackened iron, etched with numerous arcane symbols.
"You're the pro," Huc replies. "So that other door first?"
The hallway and door, as far as Arien can tell, are untrapped. The elf opens the northern door to reveal an apparent workshop. Six stone slabs sit on the floor of the chamber, and heaped on each are tools, metal gears and springs, and other parts for the construction of precision mechanisms.
Huc takes on an authoritative tone, "Well, this is clearly where he built the stuff." He looks around, hoping to find something ... anything ... interesting.
Huc notices a concealed door in the east wall.
"aaaaaaahhhhh," says the huntsman, walking over by the wall, "now THIS is fun." He presses on the hidden door, "Arien?"
"It probably isn't more wine," says Temperance sadly. "Unless it's magic wine?"
With a click and a screech of unoiled hinges, the secret door opens. Nothing else apparently happens.
|
Six stone slabs sit on the floor of the chamber, and heaped on each are tools, metal gears and springs, and other parts for the construction of precision mechanisms.
Arien runs her fingers over the tools, mumbling something about ‘constructs’.
With a click and a screech of unoiled hinges, the secret door opens. Nothing else apparently happens.
Arien winces as Huc presses against the untested door, but visibly relaxes when it becomes clear that he has avoided a terrible end. ”Maybe I should take a look…”
Carefully advancing, Arien begins her investigation of the secret room beyond. ”It makes you wonder who designed these devices? Was Hunclay an engineer, as well?”
'Just tryin' to help out, but message received."
Fynn gives the hunter an accusatory look as he follows Arien into the new room, and Huc once again takes up rear-guard.
On the other side of the door is a narrow hallway leading south, then turning west.
"Is there a chance that opening that door signaled something, Arien?" Temperance looks a bit concerned.
He peers into the hallway.
It looks remarkably like a hallway, free of infernal devices (or very much dust, for that matter).
The hallway eventually widens before turning south again. There is no sign of traps, or of anything coming to see what the noise is.
Fynn pads alongside Arien as she takes point, with Huc maintaining rear-guard.
No further traps are evident. The hallway leading south has two branches to the west. Advancing to the nearest, the party can see an iron gate hanging ajar, with a larger chamber beyond.
Huc gives an exaggerated shrug, then pantomimes sneaking forward to Arien.
Arien slinks forward. The room contains a small rickety table on which sits a slim book, quill pen, and bottle of ink. There is a circle of some silvery metal set in the floor. Inside the circle a small creature huddles. From the waist up it appears to be a chubby infant (albeit one with transparent wings sprouting from its shoulders), but below the waist it has the body of some sort of bloated insect. It does not immediately notice the elf.
"hmmm, not entirely sure what that thing is"