Caelryl listens as Galfon fills in his fellow halfling on what they have found. "No, I believe that is the place. The inscriptions on the chairs indicated they were once there," he chimes in.
"Fascinating....so let's go! I want to see this place and learn all its secrets...oh, and cleanse the evil from it!"
The bouncy cleric hops down from her chair and gathers up all her gear ready to go in an instance.
"Ummm...what are we waiting for?"
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"Well, to be honest I was suggesting that we get some shuteye before heading back," Galfon says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "We have to travel back through the woods to get to the tower. Might not be able to find our way in the dark... and it could be dangerous."
"Still, it's not like we've actually fought anything today. If everyone's up for it, we can just stop by the store and head out."
Tasius shrugged, "A bed would have been nice... Still I don't think we have anything pressing keeping us here. We could start to head back."
"Well I suppose morning would make more sense...but first thing, right!? Don't want those goblins to get the jump on us!"
Beaming, Tasius made inquiries with the inn keep about a room for the night...
"Wherever...I'm small and will not take up much space!"
Amanda jumps down off her stool and stretches before twirling around and smiling at the others.
"G'nite. See you all in the morning!"
Amanda heads over to the halfling boarding house after bidding the others a good night.
Tasius lead the way to Brightsmile's boarding house and asked for Miranda. When somebody came to serve them, Talivar explained, "Hello again! I'd like to order another bath and stay the night in the common room if that's all right with you?"
Caelryl nods and heads over to the boarding house with the others to get a room for the night.
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An attractive halfling woman in her middle years is dutifully dusting the furniture and looks up with a start when you enter. She hurries over to the desk, removing her apron as she goes. "Welcome, good sir, to Brightsmile's Boarding House." As if to exemplify the statement, she smiles broadly. "Miranda Brightsmile, at your service. Rooms are 4 pieces of silver for a private room, or you can spend the night in the common room for 2 silvers. For an extra silver, we'll fetch you hot water for a bath, and breakfast is included with either room."
Miranda recognizes the rest of you. "Welcome back," she smiles sincerely.
Miranda's is comfy and inviting, even more so for the little folk in the party, but they are accommodating for even the larger elves and human. The halflings do their level best to make sure that everyone enjoys their stay, and with first light, a wonderful breakfast (is there any other kind among halflings?) awaits, on the house.
"This is a wonderful place...makes me feel right a home, thank you, Miranda. I would like a room for the night, and a meal please."
Amanda stays near the centre of the group, allowing those who have been here before to take the lead. She will cast 'Light' as needed, centred on her Holy Symbol unless someone else has a different idea.
Caelryl draws his sword and checks the back wall of each alcove for a secret door. "I wonder if any of these other alcoves have a secret door." he says as he searches.
"I think we should try a new area. I'm in no hurry to go up against the chief again."
Tasius nodded replying, "I know where you're coming from and I'm sure there's plenty more to explore... Only thing is I don't like the idea of leaving an enemy at our backs."
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The first set of alcoves proves to have no such secret entrances. The next set of alcoves, however, where you found the secret door that led you back into this hall, you find another door on the opposite side. Caelryl quickly checks for traps and, finding none, opens the portal. Beyond is a corridor that parallels this one, going north and south.
"Yes, I was perusing it last night," Eristinian speaks up, withdrawing the map in question. "We're currently heading into this large, damaged section of the map. It looks like there are some smaller rooms to the south - we might want to check that way first."
Caelryl smiles at finding another secret door. With sword in hand, he goes through, looking both ways down the hall.
"Good idea, Erisinian. To the south then," he says before starting off down the hallway to the south.
Little Amanda stays with the group, her wide eyes taking in all that is around here..and his sword and shield at the ready.
Tasius nods at Caelryl's words at starts cautiously heading south, "Keep alert folks there's an entire tribe of them in here somewhere."
"Ready? The map indicates a room behind the door. Let's see if it's empty," he says as he opens the door and looks inside.
Tasius nods and moves to Caelryl's side and when he opens the door Tasius steps inside!
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The room beyond is long and narrow and probably originally served as some kind of auditorium or meeting room. A large stone slab at the north end of the room serves as a sort of stage, rising ten inches off the floor to accommodate speakers.
Now the room is cleared of benches and is set up with small partitions created by hanging cloth from the ceiling. The cloth is old and rotting but serves to separate each section from the others, creating twenty foot wide and eight foot deep partitions. Each partition has a split in the cloth that allows entry, but are otherwise hanging the length of their section. This leaves a four-foot wide passage down the middle of the hall to the end, in which the last ten feet is unpartitioned.
You can see several creatures moving about in the room, between the various partitions. You catch a glimpse of numerous goblins and the dull buzz of hushed conversation hints that there are several small units here.
"Oh my!", the halfling cleric whispers as she sees the goblins.
"What shall we do? Attack?"
She begins to slowly draw his sword...
Caelryl raises his finger to his lips to indicate everyone to be silent. He then motions them out of the room and closes the door quietly.
"That was close. Without knowing how many are in there attacking would not be a good idea. Not to mention there is probably another door at the other end that some of them could circle around to surround us. Let's check what is to the north," he whispers.
Tasius saw the wisdom in that and nodded, "Lead on!" he whispered, "I'll be right by your side."
Eristinian nods in agreement. "The longer we can go without heralding our return, the better."
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You travel back up the corridor as silently as possible. A few yards from the secret door, you find yourselves at a door on the left-hand side of the corridor. A search of the door reveals no visible traps and no sounds can be heard from beyond. The door is unlocked but appears to be stuck. It may need to be forced open.
"Seems stuck!" Tasius tried shoulder barging it, but he just bounded off. A little sheepishly he asked, "Er... A little help?"
Amanda runs at the door, throwing her tiny body at the obstruction.
Strength:
(Bit of Luck)Strength:
"Ooof...Oww..Well that did not seem to work too well!"
The priestess gets up and dusts herself off, limping back to the rest of the party.