I, too, wish to continue playing. I'm sorry for not posting more, but, as has been mentioned, I am very busy with family at this particular time. I recall seeing your post asking if we were going after the Green Daggers but got caught up in something as I was composing my response and then it totally slipped my mind. Please be patient with me/us a little longer.
BTW, yes, lets go after the Green Daggers.
At the end of a dead end street sits a seemingly abandoned merchant's house. The house fits the description Irontusk gave you. The walls sag, the windows are boarded up, and the roof is riddled with holes. A modest stable is located under a overhang of the building. The second floor contains an outdoor porch. There are many homes like this in the river quarter and at one time must have been a fine home. But is now in a sad state of repair.
"Lemme see if I can get a peek inside through those holes." Kyle grins and moves forward sneakily to the back side of the building, where he attempts to climb up to the roof.
Stealth
Climb
"T'is place is no' wort' much time."
"Kyle," she says, looking to the pale man. "Take care." She bites her lower lip slightly, feeling a bit of color coming to her cheeks. The group sees a much different Tessa than before - as calm and collected as she's been in battle and interrogating the other half-orc, she seems very unsure of herself at the moment. Her brow is knitted in a mixture of concern and uncertainty, and she nervously shifts her weight from one foot to the other.
"Don't try to be a hero. Just scout."
I would also like to continue I'm just swamped at work right now but things should slow a bit after the holidays. Please forgive me guys. I would post more do wise but I barely have time tokeep up right now.
Kyle you search along the house and notice all of the windows are boarded from the inside. You could climb up to the roof to try to look in through the holes in the roof. You could also climb up to the porch that serves as a walkway between the two sections of the upper floor.
Kyle scrambles onto the roof, creeping around to see what he can through the holes in the roof. He's not trying to get into the building, so he's avoid climbing onto the porch.
Kyle, using the stables as a way to scamper up to the roof, you peer into one of the holes in the roof. You see a richly appointed chamber. An elven man sits on a fine throne made of wood. He wears a fine robe of blue and green of the latest fashion.
Kyle tries to creep around to see if he can see anything through the other holes and then climbs back down to report his findings.
Stealth
Climb
Kyle a little further down the roof line reveals another chamber which has strange green translucent curtains hung from floor to ceiling creating almost a maze-like room. You are not sure of its purpose. You also do not see anybody present.
Yes, I will climb over to see what I can.
Queslin patiently waits for Kyle's return.
Once Kyle has seen all he can from the roof, he comes back to report. Regarding what he's seen already:
"Looks like the outside is just for show. The inside looks like a maze of green curtains and one of Pointy's cousins sitting on a throne, good old 'King under the saggy roof', I guess he fancies himself. Either that or some powerful illusions. Either way, smells of mischief."
"Mischief? Ye cin break mischief . . .."
Tessa frowns at Kyle's report. "No guards? Watch out, then. It has to have guards." She readies her cudgel and prepares to join the rest of the group when they make their entrance.
"Probably on the ground floor, Sweetie. I'm thinking Pointy's cousin Lord Saggy likes to rule from on high, right?" Kyle smiles in return.
Shakes his head and chuckles.
"Pointy's cousin? Am I then to assume that all shiftless, dirty, and scraggly humans we encounter are related to you? He may be my kind, but that does not make him my kin.
"Heh. Wouldn't it be funny if we got in there and it actually was your cousin, Queslin? You'd be all like 'Cousin Saggy, I did not expect to find you here in this lowly human city among the dirty and disenfranchised. Oh my, now I shall have to dispose of Kyle's body somewhere so none shall ever know my shame.'" Kyle sticks his nose in the air and does a 'Queslin voice' consisting of a high pitched girly girl soprano mixed with hoity-toity. He chuckles.
To access the house on the main level there is a front door and and it may stand to reason their is a door in the stables as well.
"Let's try the stable door. Stands to reason the front door might be guarded or trapped." Kyle leads them to the stable, checking to see if there is any activity in there before they enter.
Perception
"We should expect the stables to be guarded as well, though dirty, disenfranchised human is probably right concerning any traps. Why don't you go first, Kyle?" Queslin prepares his bow. "I'll be right behind you."
"So, we go en 'xpectin' truble. T'ey won' be 'xpectin' us, will t'ey?"
He pulls his shield around and gets it in place, then his flail, and stpes up behind Kyle.
"Let's bonk sum pointy-eared heads!"
Tessa pops her neck and nods her readiness to Kyle as well. "Let's take them."
Nestled along the side of the house these stables to not appear to be in use. Four stalls stand empty of any horses but are filled with old straw and refuse. A door leads into the house proper.
Kyle examines the door, hoping there's no magic guarding it.
Perception vs traps
"Looks clear, but stand back just in case." Kyle grins, testing the handle to see if it's locked.
The door does not appear to be locked but does seem to be quite stuck.
"Seems to be stuck. Lemme get my lockpicks." Kyle smiles and bashes in the door with his shoulder.
Strength Check.
"Tha' dinnae he'p ou' su'prise."
Queslin chuckles, "Even for a human you're an idiot. Come on. Let's get what we came for." He readies to go through the bashed in door.
Tessa just shrugs when she sees Kyle's practical solution to a stuck door. "Stealth is not our game," she says, striding into the building.
"Surprise goes out the door the minute you walk in it, you walking drum of a dwarf." Kyle smiles playfully. To Queslin he says, "Me, I'm a genius. You're just having trouble keeping up with my thoughts. Comes from living too many lifetimes at once, I'd wager."
Kyle moves into the house, stepping aside for those not already half dead to embrace the vanguard position.
Stepping up (and looking around) Thalin asks the obvious question without turning around at all. "So, which way?"
Follows the others trying to be quiet.
Kyle you bash in the door in and push the cabinet out of the way that was blocking it. You find yourself in a narrow hallway, two doors to the north, two to the south and single door at the end of the hallway.
"Choices, choices. Tell you what, dealer's choice Thalin. Take your pick."
"Heh. 'Kay. Lef' is always righ'." With that said, Thalin moves to the door furthest to his left.
"The Wise Fool says the same," Tessa says, gripping her weapon tightly and following the dwarf closely.
I have heard similar things myself...
Thalin you open the door (farthest on the left). The chamber is dominated by a long table and several chairs. A large green dagger is painted on one the table. Several cracked plates and moldy food lie scattered about the room. There are no other exits in the room.
Green dagger? I wonder what that symbolizes? Looking back over his shoulder, the dwarfs sys "Looks lhike uhn emp'y dinnin' hall. No ot'er doors. Nex' uhn?""
Tessa notes the stylized dagger painted on the table. "Right place," she says. "Move on. They wait for us."
Knowledge religion on the dagger symbol
Queslin follows along.