Runk looks back with annoyance on his face before pulling out a torch sized stick. Drawing it quickly against the stone doorway it blazes with light and illuminates the area.
With the sunrod lit you can see much clearer now. The tunnel proceeds to the north before turning to the east. Looking about the crates and supplies it is bits of metal, wood and cloth scrap. Likely it could be used to craft mundane items if given the time, but otherwise is of no value.
Marking the natural caves as a possible alternate way out for the future Runk steps back into the room, gives a shrug and says, "South first." He then tucks the sunrod in his belt and makes his way down the southern hall.
Ethan follows from a few paces back, with his bow at the ready.
The hallway turns west ending in a door way. There are also two doors on the north and south side of the hall.
Blake keeps his blade at the ready following just far enough behind Runk to allow the skilled door checker to do his work.
Runk creeps along to the first door on the southern wall and spends a few moments to listen before checking it for traps.
The rogue then advances to each door in turn and repeats the process.
Runk spends some time checking each of the doors in the hallway before making a decision on which to open.
Runk points to the first of the northern doors pointing first to his ear and then to the light beneath. Pausing for a moment he allows the rest of the group to take up the positions they'd like and then opens the door.
Zizou stands back a bit in the narrow hallway.
Blake slips past Runk to cover the far side of the hall alert to the doors behind as well as the one they are about to open.
As everyone get into position and Runk reaches to open the door the door suddenly opens. On the other side is a one-person bedroom that shows many signs of having been lived in. The bed itself is rumpled
and unmade, and a half-eaten meal of bread and smoked salmon sits on the nightstand. A few articles of dirty clothing sit at the foot of the bed. In the door way stands a ruggedly handsome man in heavy armor. He lets go of the door handle and puts a hand on his sword eyeing Runk questionably.
Blake speaks in as commanding voice as he can muster, "Stay your hand sir, else you force us to render judgment against you with out benefit of a fair trial. We have come to arrest you and take you to Sandpoint to face the charges of conspiring to hurt its citizenry and destroy their personal property. Come with us of your own accord and you will make it to trial alive. Do otherwise and your sentence could likely be your death."
"Your goblin lackeys have betrayed you, and your bugbear ranger lies in a pool of his own blood - choosing to die than face the people of Sandpoint. You may accord yourself a great fighter, but I'm sure he did, as well," Ethan adds, drawing back his bow to add emphasis.
The man eases his grip on the blade but does not remove his hand "I have no desire to face trial, but I have no grudge against Sandpoint. Let me pass and I will not hinder you in your efforts to bring the others responisble to justice."
"How dare you claim you are not responsible, we know the goblins are lead by others and you are here. You think we will just let you walk away? You claim no grudge, yet our town was needlessly attacked and, as I said, here you are with the goblins. If you cooperate, provide us the details to bring in the others you speak of then you have my word to speak in your favor come the sentencing."
The man looks Blake over considering his options and the offer. "I didn't condone the raid and I had no part in it aside from guilt by association. You gurantee I walk from this, trial or not and I'll give you whatever information you need that I have to give."
"Looks like we'll be going the stabbing route." Runk thinks to himself. He does no more than hold himself at the ready however since his companions skills have surprised him in the past.
Ethan steps into the room, releases the tension on his bow, and returns the arrow to his quiver.
"Let Erastil judge the truth of your words, then," he says, as dvine light radiates throughout the room.
"Now, answer again. Did you in any way willingly support, plan or patricipate in the attack on Sandpoint?"
He watches the man carefully, trying to read his body language and expressions.
He shakes his head to Ethan's question "No I did not support it, plan it or participate in it. In all honesty, I've been cooped up here for far too long and as it seems you are bearing down on the others there's no reason for me to expect to get paid, and thus no reason for me to stick around."
"I will not guarantee you will not face trail, but if you speak the truth then you have noting to fear for the courts of Sandpoint are just. If you speak the truth, help us apprehend those behind the nefarious plot, then I swear on my fathers life that I will speak on behalf at your trial to help secure your innocence. If you speak the truth." He looks to Ethan for conformation of the mans honesty. "You can begin by telling us all you know about your employer and the plot against Sandpoint."
Runk listens with amusement and a bit of disappointment as his companions seem to once again be diverting their near future away from violence. He keeps his weapons in hand however and keeps a sharp eye on the man.
"Watch the hall." he says quietly to Kesten.
Zizou eyes the man suspiciously as he faces questions. "Yeah. We know there are two women and another man among you. Where are they?"
The man shrugs moving his hand off his sword. "Nulia is my employeer. She has paid me to be her bodyguard. Though it has been a pretty uneventful job as she spends all her time in the lower levels. The plot against Sandpoint was of Tsuto and Bruthazamus design."
"Is Nualia the one with the big sword or the weird cat? Where is the other woman? What's down in the lower levels?"
"Some of the goblins caught during the Sandpoint attack claimed they never saw you all enter and leave the goblin fort. Is there another way to access these rooms from outside the fort?"
The man quirks an eyebrow at the voice he hears coming from down the hall "Seems you already know most of what you need to know. Yes, Nualia is a quite capable combatant. The only person I know of that has a cat is Lyrie. She usually spends most of her time in the library to the north. As for the lower levels, I couldn't tell you. Nualia pretty much keeps that area to herself. Now the goblins, who knows what they see or don't see. The only other way aside from via the fort is the cave that opens up to the sea but no one really goes in there and we came down the stairs, just as I expect you did."
"What is Nualia looking for, and why the raid on her former home?" Blake tries to keep the shock out of his voice. The truth of Nualia's existence, alive, and acting with vengeance is hard for him to stomach.
The man shrugs "I have no idea what she is looking for, though I know there is some sort of demonic influence about it. She is not the same as when she first contracted me. The raid was Tsuto's idea to help her obtain the remains of some dead priest for who knows what. Like I said my job is to body guard, she hasn't really left so I've been cooped up here in my room most of this time."
"Anyone in these other rooms" Runk asks jerking his thumb back out towards the hall.
The man shakes his head to say no.
Runk looks about the room at his companions. Seeing they have things well in hand he ducks back out into the hall and begins checking the other rooms.
Runk starts checking the other rooms while the rest of the group continues to speak with the man they encountered.
To the north is a fine bed with silk sheets, while to the south, a desk and chair under a hanging lantern make a comfortable-looking study.
"No one home." Runk says after looking in each room and before looking around inside them.
Ethan shoulders his bow, retrieves the shackles from his belt and steps forward.
"We will not kill you, but we will not allow you to walk free until you have faced justice. I place you under arrest in the name of the people of Sandpoint. Drop your weapon and submit yourself," Ethan says in a calm, even tone.
Before the man complies he asks "And what do you plan to do with me? Aren't you hear to stop who ever is responsible for the attack? Are you just going to drag me behind you the whole time? I will only slow you down. Let me pass, I will leave this place and never return you have my word. As I said I have no grudge with you or the town, it was simply a job. Another notch of bad luck to add to my current running streak."
"There is no need to drag you about. The goblins are complying with us, so I need only shackle your wrists, and leave you in here, perhaps with a rope harnass about your ankles. Once we have dealt with your employers, we will retrieve you and return to Sandpoint. If your story is as you say, the Mayor and town council will, Erastil willing, grant you clemency."
The man lets out a sigh, unstraps his sword from his hip and leans it against his shield then holds out his hands "Just try not to die and forget me here..."
Runk returns to the room as they begin peacefully shackling the man. The halfling shakes his head in disbelief. A torch that gives off light but no heat sticks out of his pack.
"Found a torch."
Once the man is situated he says, "Bookworm next." and begins to head out. He pauses for a moment before leaving the room though. Looking back at the bound man he asks, "What's yer name anyway?"
The man looks to Runk "Orik Vancaskerkin."
Runk gives him a nod. "Won't leave you shackled." he promises and then heads out the doorway.
[ooc]If anyone wants to do something before the below just pipe in. Sounds like we'll be facing a caster next.{/ooc]
Runk leads the party back through the halls to the area they first descended to. Heeding the mans advice he takes the northern hall until they come to the fork. There he considers the three options and finally decides to try the eastern door first. As in the past he first checks and listens at the door.
As the mercenary is being tied up, Zizou comes to the door to ask him about the others, "What can you tell us about what the two women or the cat are capable of?"
Before leaving the man behind, the gnome suggests to the halfling scout, "Search his things for any healing potions?"
"Got a wand." Runk replies. His unwillingness to rifle through the mans possessions a bit odd.
Before Runk sets out Orik answers Ziz's question "Nualia is a capable fighter and Lyrie knows the arcane arts."
Runk makes his way back toward the northern hall, taking the easter hallway and opening the door it goes into a rough cut hallway with a larger room further in and a passage branching to the north. The floor of this cavern seems strangely polished and smooth. To the east, a thick curtain of vines and nettles hangs down over a wide opening
overlooking the Varisian Gulf.
"Might be good to know about a sea approach to this place." Runk thinks. Before heading in he kneels down and inspects the floor and walls to try and divine the cause of their smooth surfaces. He considers causes both natural and more sinister.
T10 K:Nature= 10
Blake follows Runk at a close, but safe distance and keeps an eye out for threats. Seeing the halfling inspect the floor, Blake does the same, keeping is blade at the ready.
Ethan gives a parting look to Orik.
"You have my thanks for your cooperation. I will speak in your defense at trial."
With that, he moves on to join the rest of the group.
Runk looks up at the ceiling of the cave and considers the room. After a moment he simply says, "Not the library." and turns back down the hall, leaving the mystery of the cave for another time.
At the fork he turns north and checks the door.
After checking the door as usual Runk opens it to find a 10 ft x 10 foot room, with a door set in the north west wall. The lower four feet of the walls in this empty room are covered with crude drawings in mud, blood, and paint. Most of the drawings show goblins engaged in some sort of violence against humans, horses, or dogs. One picture on the north wall is at least three times the size and complexity of the other scrawlings. This image shows Thistletop from the side which looks oddly like a humainoid head, the goblin stockade perched atop it like a crown. A cave has been drawn into the center of the image, and looming inside is what appears to be an immense, muscular goblin with snakelike eyes and a dogslicer in each taloned hand. If the scale compared to the rest of the drawing is to be believed, this goblin must be at least thirty feet tall.