Laurent raises and eyebrow and gives Lirana a half-smile. "Ms. Caldori, Ms. Bluethistle, I certainly think this fellow would cause a some annoyance to the Lord Mayor. But please think of his servants and the ordinary people who attend him that are not powerful Asmodean priests. Stellx is more likely to annoy a maid than bother Barzillai Thrune."
His peace said, he turns his attention back to Stellx just in time for the monster's "witty" -and pungent - retort. Laurent can't help but screw his face up in disgust. "Ugh..." he mutters before turning his eyes on Lirana, whom he assumes would be the most informed about the destination of the souls of fairies.
Berenice waves her hand in front of her nose.
"Pew!"
After that, she looks at Laurent and Aldren.
"What's your proposal then, boys? I imagine we could just tell him to beat it? It's not like he's got a shortage of housing options throughout Kintargo."
Aldren hears Laurent echo his own argument and inexplicably finds this, too, somehow distasteful. Yes, it will annoy the Thrune toady servants -- what a terrible thing -- before the Hellknights stick a sword in its belly... He blinks, looks back at the grimple, then at the ladies with a chagrined look. "Actually, Bee, Lirana, I'm sorry. You're right. Maybe this is the best way to resolve this. But how would we get him in? And how do we get him out of here? He says he's trapped."
Lirana smiles at Aldren, not understanding his sudden change of mine, but glad to not have an argument over the foul creature's soon to be change of address.
On the topic of where a fae goes when it dies: "Uhm, well, I don't think my mentor ever mentioned anything about final destination of fae souls."
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"This is an intelligent creature although being a Fey, he is a deceptively chaotic creature. Still I am not an advocate for taking a life unless necessary. My knowledge of these creatures is limited though. If we let this creature go, will he merely be an annoyance or will lives truely be put at risk? If lives are in danger it would be better to send the creature to the afterlife. The needs of many outweigh that of the one."
"You came into MY home Bully!" the Fey snaps.
"Yes, yes, we did, very true," Aldren murmurs with a slight smile. He looks at the others and adds for emphasis, "It's true. And Septimus, you're also right, I suppose, these are chaotic creatures. So, Master Stalx -- or whatever your name is -- what would you prefer, being brained into oblivion here, banished into the wilderness with nothing to do, or get to visit a very fancy manse in which there live many boring people just begging to have tricks played upon them -- but you can't kill them, only play tricks on them?"
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Bot carawyn-
Carawyn shares all she found with the rest of you, I cant Bot her speech. so please pretend. I tried but it kept looking wrong.
Aldren thanks Carawyn for sharing the information, however bizarrely she might have phrased it. "So, Bee, if you didn't see anything on the perimeter of the building and we didn't see anything on the inside, that means..." He gestures over his shoulder towards the door. "And that, of course," he speaks of the grimple as if it isn't even in the room.
Berenice huffs a little.
"Clue me in, Aldy. You know this magic stuff goes over my head," she says.
"Both figuratively and literally," she quickly adds, looking to nip any cracks about her height in the bud.
Trying understand the meaning of Carawyn's words, Lirana wonders if it would be easier for her to find magical writing if she could detect magical energy.
The half-elf had one such quip on the tip of his tongue before the opening is slammed shut along with a click of his mouth and a grin. "Ah, yes, um.... Well, truth be told, summoning and binding are magics beyond my purview and power..." Yet...I'll have to pray on that. "...but it sounds like there should be some wards or binding circles or something to keep the fey here. But the magic may work on other things as well. And, as I said, I heard a lute playing on the other side of that door, so I think there is more down here with us than just that scabberous thing. To Septimus's point, it stands to reason that once those wards go down...that thing will likely be free to leave, unless we've come to an agreement beforehand--if it would even honor such."
"Well, there's nothing to it then. We will have to look in on that door and see what's inside. As far as M. Stellx goes, I don't think any of us have magic that can compel him," Laurent says.
He turns to the fey and continues, "M. Stellx, do you swear, on pain of death, that if we free you from these binding wards, you and your family will depart Kintargo immediately and forever, and furthermore harming no residents of the city ever again?"
"Me don't know if me can leave, if you were to do this me would be grateful. Me have no family anymore here. Thanks to you."
Stellx appears to consider your offer.
"Sure, Shake." Stellax holds out a hand with pockmarks on it.
Aldren covers a smile with his free hand as he turns around and walks back towards the door on the west wall.
Lirana will follow Aldren over to the door and listens at it, trying to hear if anymore music starts back up.
It's family is dead and it seems to be pained by that. Still... is that enough? Oh well. I've time to dwell on it. It's not going anywhere soon, and perhaps an answer will present itself.
Aldren listens at the door with Lirana and, if he hears nothing, opens it with his free hand, morningstar in the other.
Berenice follows after Aldren and listens at the door too.
The party enters into a dirty storeroom with salt and sawdust covering the floor. The masonry appear to have bite marks and have been chewed upon. A pile of moth eaten cloth and stained sacks filled with unknown material are in a depression about 10 ft down a small shaft. A rusty iron grate is covering a pathway winding down a flight of stairs. you hear no music currently in the place.
You see that the Grimple appears upset that no one will shake his hand. He goes to everyone to see if anyone does and if no one does he sits down with his arms crossed.
Ignoring the grimple's physical presence almost entirely, Aldren still speaks to it while inspecting the room. "Hmm. Fey...had your ilk ever been in here? What made these claw and bite marks?" He moves into the room cautiously, finding the signs of something capable of damaging masonry in such a way unsettling...along with the suggestion that whatever it was hasn't been able to leave. Unless it starved... which won't be the case, as that's the kind of luck I'm having today.
On the off chance it reveals anything useful, Aldren utters a quick prayer to Calistria.
As Stellx waddles over Berenice sighs and spits in her hand before holding it out to him, clearly repulsed.
"Alright, if it'll make ya happy, little guy."
Stellx spit vomit on his hand also before holding it out and shaking Berenice's hand "Thank you, Me wont have to betray you now, you ok."
@aldren- after a few moments you pick up some magic in the pile of stained clothes in the shaft.
"We hungry sometimes, wood ok...."
Laurent scratches head at the whole scene, but is happy that the fey seems to be mollified for now. "Don't worry M. Stellx, there will be plenty to eat in the wilds outside the city, much better than old wood! Just like home in the Faerie realm."
Unless Stellx prevents him, Laurent then enters into the store room, letting the others focus on looking for the source of strange music while methodically begins checking the room for traps.
"We have new friends. But going back to the First World would be ever so dangerous. We should all stay together," Carawyn murmurs as the others turn their attention to the store room.
She enters, curious about the spectral music.
"Should we dance? The music's playing, and it would seem most rude not to?"
She twirly around the room, wondering if she might see the player, though any details are lost in her twirling silks.
Aldren stops mid-stride and slowly turns his head to study the grimple. 'Me won't have to betray you...' Oh, this little bugger... A finger strokes the hilt of his morningstar as he considers the fey's casual admission of its thoughts, then goes back to focusing on the task at hand.
"There's something magical in that pile of rags, there in the shaft. Careful, though, not sure if it's a trap or not."
Lirana moves over to examine Aldren's shaft with the magical pile of rags.
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@lirana- The shaft is 10ft by 10 ft. it is fairly large. then about 10 ft down imagining a large cube.
@Aldren- Abjuration.
@laurant- no traps on the grate or storeroom that you can see. as you head towards the grate the music starts up again. A very sad dirge.
anyone can make a Knowledge (history) DC 14 check to recognize the music.
"Does anyone have any rope? Maybe someone could climb down the shaft and grab that pile of rags?"
"Hmm, not me. I wasn't expecting to need rope at a protest... Well, it did involve the Thrunes, but I thought they'd be the only ones using it. But I'd also advise caution. It's an abjuration aura." He adds to Berenice and others who might be curious, "It could be beneficial but that's a protective aura. Usually not harmful but could conceivably be related to a trap or... a ward to prohibit travel." He gestures at the fey.
As Laurent is searching the room for traps, the mysterious music starts up again. Without thinking he begins humming along with it while he is looking over the grate, then suddenly stops.
Hmm... now that's odd, he murmurs to himself. Finding no traps in the room or on the grate, he wanders back to the group.
"Sorry, I've no rope with me today Mlle. Lirana. Other than my sword and a bit of armor I left most of my things back at home today," he says while peering over into the pit when he arrives with the rest of the group.
"By the way, I recognize that tune from my mother's sheet music collection. It's from an old piece called This Little Life, about a Halfling that became a slaver. Somewhat unusual in that it was an operetta that dealt with a serious subject. I don't really know why it would be playing here, but maybe it is tied to the original Silver Ravens?
Stellx spit vomit on his hand also before holding it out and shaking Berenice's hand "Thank you, Me wont have to betray you now, you ok."
Berenice tries not to puke herself as they shake, but smiles weakly at Stellx's words.
"Yeah, thanks Stellx. You're okay too...you could use a bath, though. Just a thought."
She wipes her hand on her pants.
"By the way, I recognize that tune from my mother's sheet music collection. It's from an old piece called This Little Life, about a Halfling that became a slaver. Somewhat unusual in that it was an operetta that dealt with a serious subject. I don't really know why it would be playing here, but maybe it is tied to the original Silver Ravens?
When Laurent mentions the operetta, Berenice glares.
"Who the Hell wrote that?! I wanna punch 'em in the face. Serious subject, my a**! We halflings need to stick together. Willingly becoming the oppressor...f***! I can't imagine what'd drive a halfling to treat his fellow halflings in such a godsdamn cruel way!"
"This little life of mine," Carawyn hums, "We're gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
She stops after a few moments, going over to peer down the shaft.
"We have a spider's web, which little spiders can crawl up and down. What a tangled net we weave..." she says, pulling out a net and shaking it out before looking around at her companions.
The half-elf looks over his shoulder at Berenice when the halfling has her outburst. Experiencing a mix of compassion and frustration at what he sees as the naïveté, he pushes the feelings aside and instead focuses on the more immediate. "Whatever the tune...someone or something is playing it. Someone the fey says it's never seen. I think it would behoove us to move with caution and some degree of silence. If they stand against us or bring harm to others, we'll see them punished."
He glances back at the pit and Carawyn, pondering. "Do you mean a web spell?" She casts spells? "That might be useful but perhaps hold onto it for a more immediate need. This doesn't look too deep. Maybe one of us can just climb in with the aid of another?"
Aldren keeps his voice low, not quite a whisper but not at a regular level of conversation either.
Carawyn looks at Aldren as if he were slightly addled, and then looks back at the net as she lowers it into the shaft for someone to climb down.
"I....oh! Well.... isn't that useful." Aldren stares at the net, wondering where the gnome pulled it from.
Laurent retains his composure at Berenice's outburst, though internally he is quite surprised that the excitable halfling woman is so upset that there are plenty of halfling slavers- and worse professions besides. Laurent considers for a moment that perhaps it is a sign how far the Chelaxian people have fallen that he does not consider it personally insulting when a member of his own race is engaged in nefarious activities.
He gives her a slight apologetic bow. "My apologies if I caused offence, mademoiselle. If it is any consolation, both the score and the libretto for This Little Life were written over a century ago. I don't know of any modern revivals."
Once Carawyn places the net down into the pit, Laurent looks around. "I will admit that I'm no outdoorsman. I might be able to make it down without incident if I have a moment to remove my armor. if no one else feels they can do it.
Lirana remains silent on the topic of operettas and music since she isn't very knowledgeable about either.
"Stellx, have you ever seen anyone come into this room? Be they human or otherwise?"
"Ah look, rope!" Aldren exclaims. "And a net! My, this brings back memories. Just need a bed and a few posts for tie downs...mmmmm.... there!" He gestures towards one of the less dusty corners. He then sees Stellx moving in the corner and sighs. "Course, then there is that..."
He shakes his head, re-focuses on the task at hand, and nods to Laurent. "Between the net and the rope, you should do fine. Just check for traps... again, it's probably harmless, but better safe than sorry."
"Alright, let's have a look then," Laurent says, checking as much of the pit as he can without descending into it.
If he is satisfied there are no traps, he will take a moment to remove his leather breastplate and greaves, then climb down into the depression.
Carawyn watches from above as Laurent descends first into the tunnel.
As Laurant slowly makes his way down into the small pit you see rotted cloth and bloodstained articles of clothing, maybe rags used from the slaughterhouse. After a few moments of digging you find what appears to be a red cloak that has resisted tears and has very little wear. there also is about 125 gp worth of assorted jewelry and coinage that appears to have been dropped down here. When Laurant starts to dig down there he sees rather large Bugs, ticks, ants, etc moving about. and after a few moments Laurant starts to itch.
@laurant Fort save DC 14- or infested with lice and ticks. -1 to dex checks and attacks. for 24 hours.
"Hey! you cant take that! It's mine!" Stellx speaks up.
Lirana looks at Stellx curiously. "What are you claiming as yours? The dirty clothing, the red cloak, the assorted jewelry or the random coinage?" I'm surprised the little creature has the audacity to speak up. Does he not realize how close he is to being killed out of hand?
Lirana looks at the items with Detect Magic, wondering which item is the magical one and if that will be the one that Stellx claims.
Berenice looks at Stellx and shrugs.
"You probably aren't gonna be able to carry it all to your new home, but...the Lord Mayor's got a lot of neat, shiny stuff...and he surely won't notice if a few things go missing here and there once you've moved in. I mean, he's not using any of it."
As he's searching through the stuff, Lauren't calls up to Aldren, "Can you pinpoint what has the magical aura? I can't tell myself. There's some jewelry, coin, and a bunch of rubbish but nothing that stands out as magical"
Without even realizing it Lauren has begun scratching himself all over. "Ugh, disgusting creatures," he mutters to himself.