An excellent hit! Pylos charges the mastiff and thrusts deftly. Meanwhile, Jules comes up beside and pokes the dog with his dagger.
Kethaera charged the mastiff hoping to keep the mutt off of Tarnagius as well.
With an all-mighty bellow, Kethaera charges headfirst into the mastiff. With a single cleave, she takes off it's head!
Kethaera is a bit shaken up after killing the dog. She loved dogs and having to kill a few even if they were savage mongrels didn't sit right here but neither did letting her comrades die. She quickly cast a healing spell singing a soft Elven melody/prayer to Shelyn, as the half-elf tried to heal Tarnagius.
She also ask the goddess's forgiveness for having to kill the dogs, hoping that the goddess would understand that she couldn't let her new friends die.
Jules cleaned off his shortsword and replaced it in it's sheath before examining the dogs to see if they had any identification or marks of local guards.
Jules can't find anything on the dogs. They must be strays
"Well that was certainly exhilarating. Can we get inside now?" He looked over his shoulder and out the door, "We don't want to garner unwanted attention."
He moved over and tried to pull the doors closed if they could be closed.
Phillip gets the doors closed. Would you want me to check around to make sure there are no more dogs?
"If there are, we should stay together. If not there very well could be worse." the halfling stated as he looked about the livery itself.
"I agree. We should stay together. This place is supposed to be haunted and if it isn't, we should prepare for the worst. We also have our potions in case and I can cast another healing spell if need be."
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Pylos wiped the blood of the dog off of his estoc before sheathing it. "So, was anybody else taken aback by the sudden fight?" he said, looking around at the others. "I don't know about you, but that seemed a little...forced, almost like a set-up."
Shaking his head, he walked over to Tarnagius and helped him up, checking to make sure that he was going to survive the day. "Tarnswald, old boy, you have to be more careful! Manservants just don't just grow on trees, you know!"
Kethaera also began to try and see if she could treat Tarnagius's wounds.
Tarnagius sits up and shakes himself, wiping saliva off his shoulder.
Apologies, sir. Won't happen again.
He balks a bit at Jules' question.
Who could set up stray dogs to guard something? And even if they could, surely there are better agents available to such a person. That being said, I'm all in favor of staying together. Considering...
"I agree with Tarnagius. This doesn't seem like a trap. But we should stay together. Considering the fact that there might be worse things than stray ravenous mongrels."
"Not conceiving all angles can get you killed Mr. Vashnarstill." he smirked at the man, "The most clever of trap look nothing like it."
At hearing Jules's words, Kethaera thinks.
"A good point. Both Jules and Tarnagius have made excellent points although of differing points of view but they do share one thing in common: we should be on our guard regardless if this is a trap or not. Besides from what I've heard splitting up the party tends to get everyone killed."
Right then. I'll stay with everyone, let's check out the back area.
"Agreed. So far I haven't seen any signs of a haunting or ghosts or anything like that. Maybe the Silver Ravens left traps and spells behind to keep people from snooping around until worthy successors come along and pick up the banner of revolution once again. Oh! This reminds me of my mother's Pathfinder Chronicles! Maybe I should write a play based on our adventures: the Return of the Silver Ravens, or the Silver Ravens Soar Once Again. Yeah that last one sounds more dramatic and adventurous."
Kethaera leads the party towards the back hoping to spot anything useful.
After a fair bit of searching, Kethaera and Jules manage to find quite a few items of interest:
- An old platinum signet ring stuck into the ceiling rafters
- A rusted iron key
- Tiny clawed footprints crisscrossing the desks and tables
Tarnagius looks at the ring.
Let's not be referring to ourselves as the silver ravens, just yet. Does anyone know what we're looking for here, or are we just supposed to know it when we see it?
When Tarnagius asked what they were looking for she said, "I'm not sure. Maybe documents, magical items, scrolls, spellbooks, a crystal ball, errr....maybe an iron golem army? It could be anything. Although I'm puzzled by these tiny footprints...tiny clawed footprints."
She then held up the rusted key.
"But there's this key here and keys usually unlock something."
Well let's keep searchen then. Phillip will move with the others to the east.
Kethaera smiled at Phillip.
"Good idea Phillip. Maybe we can find something. Maybe there's a hidden door or a hidden switch somewhere."
Although the signet ring is a fair ways up, Tarnagius' knowledge of the noble families throughout Cheliax makes identifying it a fairly simply task. The signet ring belongs to the long extinct Juliac family. They were the family that took over this livery and turned it into a thriving stables. Their line ended during the civil war. The ring is 15 feet up the rickety rafters.
Kethaera took a good look at the tiny clawed footprints, which were roughly the size of a cat's paw, but humanoid-ish. They have 3 large toes with a claw on each. Every time they walk, they scratch the stone slightly. She wasn't able to tell what person/creature they belonged to.
As Kethaera and Phillip take another look around, they notice to the south of the building a large iron gate that blocks the entrance to a hallway. The iron bars have been pulled near the bottom, making it possible for a small person (such as a gnome or halfling) to squeeze through with some effort. Inside the hallway lies various crates, barrels, and a locked chest. Also, there is a door, which must have been a hidden door because of how it was treated to look like part of the wall, but time has not been kind to it. It rests on a single hinge, warping it to the side to become obvious to see.
Jules slid under the bars to investigate the room. "You are correct. Keys do normally unlock thing. For instance maybe this crate?"
He held his had out through the bars expectantly.
Looking at the ring, the diva asks, "Anyone want to try their hand at getting that ring?"
After studying the strange footprints, the half-elf describes what she has learned.
"I'm not sure what creature made these tracks but they weren't made by any cat although they are made by something that's cat size. No these tracks were made by something humanoid-ish. They got three toes per clawed foot and when they walked they scratch the surface slightly."
Kethaera nods at Jules, replying, "Here you go. I wonder what's inside there."
"Well what do you know: there is a secret door!"
Jules attempts to unlock the chest with the rusted iron key, but quickly notices that the key is far too large for the lock.
Jules pocketed the key for later use with a perplexed look. He reached into his boot and withdrew a leather roll containing his tools before setting at the lock again.
Despite Jules' efforts, the lock does not open. Perhaps he will need to spend more time
What do the rest of you do? You can't go through the iron gate, and the door and chest are on the other side.
Jules sits down and starts to take his time on the lock.
Phillip gets the ring, rather wary since he was alerted to some strange critter lurking around.
Edit:
As Phillip tries to climb up to get the ring, he slips and falls before he can even get a good start.
Pffft Phillip rubs his arse
Kethaera then noticed that the iron gate had a lock on it. She began to wonder if the key was to the gate.
"Jules sorry to bother you but what about using that key to unlock this here gate? It's the only thing I can think of using it on. That key has got to unlock something right?"
After seeing failed attempt at getting the ring, she began to wonder if she should try her hand.
She began to look around for some rope she might be able to use to help her or someone else climb up fo the rafters.
Kethaera is able to find plenty of rope. It's old, but should be fine for the job.
Jules nodded to Kethaera and placed the key under the gate before returning to the lock.
Tarnagius is in far too foul a mood to bother with the ring.
What are the chances we'll need a signet ring from a long-dead family anyway? Let's just get this over with. Anyone have a crowbar?
Kethaera thanked Jules and used the key on the locked iron gate hoping it would unlock.
Using the rope the half-elf begins climbing up to the ring.
"Well Tarnagius if anything we could always sell it. Rebels need money too."
After slinging the end of the length of rope over the rafters, Kethaera hands the end to Phillip to hold. She climbs up the rope, with a bit of effort, and picks up the signet ring.
Jules succeeds in picking the chest's lock.
- several bags of assorted coins, totaling 150 sails (gp)
- a silver dagger (medium sized, masterwork)
- a simple wooden wand that radiates magic
Kethaera grinned as she got back down with the ring in hand.
"Well we got a good bit of stuff but that secret door interests me a good deal. Anyone up for some dungeon crawling?"
If the key unlocked the iron gate, then Kethaera asks to see the wand.
The iron gate unlocks (although plenty of effort was required to actually get it to work). Kethaera can identify the wand as a wand of Cure Light Wounds, with a caster level of 2. It has 20 charges.
We ought to make sure we are one hundred percent first.
Tarnagius gestures to his many bites and any obvious wounds the others have.
I'd hate to get taken out by a loose piece of ceiling.
Looks like Tarnagius and Pylos are the worst off.
Kethaera studied the wand and then she smiled.
"Wow. This is very good. A wand of cure light wounds, and it's a potent one too. I believe it has 20 charges left on it. Indeed, Tarnagius. We should make sure we're all healed up."
She pointed the wand at Tarnagius saying, "Tanka harwar."
Heal.
Heal wounds.
She then pointed it at Pylos saying the same thing.
"Well that leaves the wand having 17 charges left. I'll hang onto it. So let's see where that secret door takes us. Oh and Jules I think you should use the dagger. It's finely made too. Excellent piece of workmanship too."