After spending significant time looking for traps, Talon finds none. Then he works the lock on the chest, taking his painstaking time, but is rewarded when the lock clicks and the rogue opens the box.
Inside he finds a healer's kit (5 uses remaining), a belt pouch with 25 silver pieces, and a clear potion.
Going to this room's side door, Talon opens it revealing another bedroom that has two other doors leading from it. A sturdy bed heaped with blankets sits near the only window, and a large maple chest occupies the southwest corner. The chest is also locked with a sturdy lock. A large book rests on a small table next to the bed.
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Talon smells the potion, then dips the tip of his finger into it and tastes it.
"Hey, this looks pretty useful," the rogue says as he hands the potion to Meditrina. "I think it will restore severe damage if my guess is correct. Maybe you should hang onto this."
He holds up the healer's kit. "This also looks handy, but maybe someone else should hang onto it in case something happens to Meditrina. Agatha, do you want this?"
He throws the coins on the counter with the other items, then moves to complete his search of the other rooms.
Meditrina frowns slightly "In case something happens to me...ever the optimist aren't you Talon?". Muttering to herself, Meditrina takes the potion and stores it away, saving it for future use.
From Perception in PRD: Identify the powers of a potion through taste 15 + the potion's caster level
Talon opens the door to the next room.
Going to this room's side door, Talon opens it revealing another bedroom that has two other doors leading from it. A sturdy bed heaped with blankets sits near the only window, and a large maple chest occupies the southwest corner. The chest is also locked with a sturdy lock. A large book rests on a small table next to the bed.
Trawets enters the room and casts detect magic and looks for magical emanations.
Continuing to the next room over, Talon finds that it is small bedroom with only a single rumpled bed for contents. The room is otherwise empty and doesn't look as if it has been used for some time.
Back in the center bedroom, Trawets casts Detect Magic. After waiting for a while to see the aura's he certainly detects a handful of magical auras emanating from the locked maple chest.
"Talon, would you come back here please. There are magical items in the chest. If you will try and open it I'll check the next room for magic." Trawets then walks to the next room with his detect magic and has a look around.
There is no magic in the small bedroom on the left.
After taking a quick look at the maple chest for traps, finding none, Talon sets to work on the lock. It isn't but a few seconds later that he has the chest open.
Inside there seems to be a variety of valuable items: a gold ingot engraved with the Taldan royal seal, a spyglass, a silver lady's ring, 3 tiger's eye gemstones, a pair of fine leather riding boots of elven make, etched with vine scrollwork, a silver dagger, and leather portfolio containing several pieces of parchment.
Upon closer inspection, the parchemnt appear to magical writing, and they do in fact detect as magic (none of the other items do). There are four magic scrolls in all:
Trawets looks through the scrolls to see what each is.
"One is of Magic Weapon. The other I will need more time to decipher. I wander if this stuff belonged to the kidnapped lady."
Once Trawets brings the new-found scrolls to Meditrina, she is able to help identify the first and third. The fourth remains past your current abilities. It appears you have 1 scroll of Endure Elements, and 2 scrolls of Magic Weapon. Along with the unique treasures from the maple chest.
The book on the bed side table, once investigated turns out to be filled with magical arcane writing and once looked over by Trawets appears to be the spellbook of another wizard type. There appear to be 7 spells in the book: Alarm - 1st level, Chill Touch - 1st level, Expeditious Retreat - 1st level, Feather Fall - 1st level, Identify(already known), Locate Object - 2nd level, Ray of Enfeeblement - 1st level
Trawets takes the spellbook and puts it in his backpack. "I'll save this for when we have time and supplies."
Checking out the remaining rooms on the ground floor, Talon finds that small room on the south side of the cabin is a small bedroom that looks unused. A wardrobe here contains linens, a washboard, and nothing else of interest.
Moving to the the door on the north, the rogue opens it, finding the kitchen. A large fireplace takes up most of the north wall of this room, its radiant heat providing palpable relief from the cold weather outside. Cabinets and shelves line the remaining wall space, and four windows look out on the wintry landscape surrounding the lodge.
Standing near the fireplace, currently stirring a pot of delicious smelling stew is a half-orc woman dressed in leather armor, and wearing a dagger and shortsword. A crossbow lies on the counter near her. She whirls when you enter, her hand reaching for the ranged weapon.
Grabbing up the crossbow, the half-orc woman snarls "Ten-Penny ain't "with" any'un, boy! She been lonely for a long stretch, poor ol' Ten-Penny. She don't spy four a'you neither! Ten-Penny see only these three righ' here. Where's t'other un at, hmmm? You tryin' to pull a fast'un on ol' Ten-Penny, buster?" she keeps checking the windows to see if your last friend is out there, but keeps the crossbow trained on Talon at the door.
"Now you tell poor Ten-Penny who you is an' whatchu doin' up here in this damn col' weather?"
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Talon continues a non-aggressive approach.
"Hey, take it easy. We don't want any trouble. Ten-Penny, is it? We were sent by the town to find some noble woman who was kidnapped by these bandits. We're also trying to figure out why it's snowing in the middle of the summer, but for now, I'm just trying to figure out how not to get shot, okay?"
Ten-Penny nods towards the stew cooking above the fire. "Ain't you a fierce one," scowls the lady half-orc to Agatha. "Ten-Penny gots plenty o' food, 'specially if you've done in some o' them rascals wif Rokhar. You make nice wif ol' Ten-Penny, an' she'll feed you good, yessir. She says put down your weapons, an' let's talk nice, like civilized folks, yeah? Ten-Penny'll put down her shooter, when she sees you lay down your'ns."
Seeing Agatha comply, Ten-Penny casts a wary eye around on the rest of you, suspicious for a trap or a trick. When none is immediately forthcoming she carefully lowers her crossbow to the countertop, keeping it within easy hands reach.
"Now that's done, we can all eat. More n'enough for everyone since you all cut down the numbers we were feedin' a'fore. Get yourselves a bowl an' a spoon, an' heave to."
She waves you in the kitchen, still standing near her crossbow, at first, but gradually trusting you enough to step away.
"So tell Ten-Penny, what brings you all the way up this blasted mountain in this weather? Ten-Penny was just passing through when the snow started, and she were lucky enough to fin' this little lodge and hide out. Not long after, Rohkar an' his gang appeared, and he and Ten-Penny made a little truce until the weather done cleared up."
Looking startled, Ten-Penny says, "You mean you're here t'save the Lady? Them raiders just brung her here. Ten-Penny said ain't no good come from kidnappin' no lady. They just send soldiers after her, but Rokhar says his bosses have a plan for that lady, and they want her 'live. Izoze herself come and look at the pretty lady, even. Now here come the cavalry and Rokhar's dead. See Ten-Penny knows, Ten-Penny smart! Ain't no truck in kidnappin' no sir!"
She slurps her soup in a rather irritating way, smacking and licking her lips when done. "Ol' mule ain't never no good fer Ten-Penny while livin', but she shore do taste fine in dat soup!"
"You find the lady yet? She under the bearskin rug, she be. She prolly hungry too come to think on it. Y'all wanna go get her an' Ten-Penny'll pour up some more fine soup?"
Trawets moves to assist Agatha and help the lady out.
The bearskin rug moves aside easily in Agatha's strong hands, revealing a locked trapdoor in the floor. Using the keys found on the body of the bandit leader, the group soon has the trapdoor open. A metal ladder leads down into a partially lit cellar. Descending the group sees a half-dozen boxes and barrels take up the majority of this underground storage area. A rough blanket lies spread on the floor in the southeast corner next to a bowl of half-eaten food.
Crouching on the blanket, a make shift shiv held out in front of her, is, who you assume to be, the Lady Argentea Melassene. Her fine clothes are soiled with mud and torn in more than a few places. Her hair is amuss, and her face is scratched and bruised.
"Who are you now? More swagmen, come to rob me of my things? Well your cohorts have already stolen everything. All I have for you is this?" and she lunges feebly at you with her shiv.
"You are here...to rescue me? How? How did you know I was even taken? My travels were in secret...and...well, I guess none of that matters now. What has happened to that creep Rokhar, and his evil mistress that foul Izoze? And do you have something to eat? I can't stomach this horse-meat stew or whatever that evil little orc cooks up."
She lowers the shiv, and seems on the point of breaking into tears, but you see a steely resolve take over, as she shrugs off her shock, straightens her shoulders, and begins tackling the problems head on.
Meditrina smiles encouragingly "One of you guards escaped, and sounded the alarm, so we tracked down the bandits in the hope of getting you to safely, I speak for all of us when I say that we are glad that you are unhurt"
The lady looks at you imperiously. "Unhurt? Unhurt? I am far from unhurt. Look at my hair, my clothes. I am damaged, more than ever in my life. But you did not answer my question. What has become of that little turd Rokhar and his evil master?"
The lady sighs impatiently, rolling her eyes a bit. "Rokhar, the leader of the bandits. A wizard, or something....Izoze, if you'd seen her you'd know. Small, but evil. Shock of white hair, leathery bat wings. And Cold....some kind of evil fey, she is."
"What food do you have? And have you got anything to wear, that's less ragged than this? How are we getting out of here?"
"Rokhar I fear, is no longer with us, however I don't believe I have met this Izoze that you are talking about."
"In regards to further plans, I believe that this house is (relatively), secure, it should grant us food, shelter and warmth for the time being, as far as clothes, you can look around, but I doubt the bandits would have left behind various pretty outfits...although if you wish you can wear my priestess robes, if you were desperate for something else to wear"
"Here? You want me to stay here? That's your rescue plan? Where are the soldiers and the coaches? I can't stay here, I am expected in Zimar. Surely, you have a plan to get my down and back to my family, right?"
"We need to rest and recuperate. We are not soldiers, merely concerned citizens. Who knows how long it would take for soldiers or the authorities to find you with all this snow. The road to Zimar may be impassable by now. Our plan is to rest and get you back to town safely. There the authorities can get you to Zimar."
The noblewoman, really no more than a girl, fumes silently for a moment. "Are there any horses left? I could ride down to the village, and get help from there. I can't stay here....I just..." and she breaks into silent tears of frustration and anger.
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Talon frowns at the thought of the woman going back to town alone.
"I don't think it's safe to go back on your own, princess. We were attacked a dozen times trying to find you, and it's so cold you'll freeze before the first marker...err...before you get back to town. Let us finish exploring this place to make sure it's clear, but we better take you back to town," the rogue suggests.
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"Maylady... we should wait till tomorrow morning. You need some warm food, we all, and we have to clear the house proper. We have some work to do. Stay at the hearth, warm yourself while we do our duty. And if you feel threatened. YELL. We are there in a moment."With that, the big barbarian motions the others to go to the stairs.