Kethaera smiled and nodded.
"You're welcome."
This old workroom houses numerous old slaughterhouse tools, veterinary equipment, and woodworking tools, all of which are covered with a thick layer of dust through which strange tracks and patterns have been traced. Heavy mallets, crumbling ropes, and tools for restraining animals hang from pegs in the walls or rest atop leaning tables. To the southwest, a trap door sits ajar, propped open by a block of wood.
One of the walls (the far one) is bleeding. I repeat, it is bleeding.
"Okay that's....well a haunting if I ever saw one!"
Kethaera gulped as she edged towards the trapdoor.
we got ghosts? Better get a priest in here.
"Well I did study and trained with the priests at the Church of Shelyn here, Songbird Hall. Maybe I could try..."
Kethaera identifies that this bleeding effect is caused by the cantrip Prestidigitation. She does not know if a ghost is responsible for it, but she can rule out that it is not a haunt.
Agreed Phillip. We ought to be able to find one trustworthy enough given the Diva's connections. Haunts are not to be trifled with.
Kethaera scratched her head.
"Odd. This stuff seems to be called by Prestidigitation cantrip. I'm not sure if a ghost is causing this but we can definitely rule out this being a haunt."
She began to wonder.
"Could be. If it is emitting from something that could be why everyone thinks this place is haunted. Now if someone is doing this then the question is why are they making it appear that the Livery is haunted. Of course that person has to be extremely old as didn't these hauntings begin years ago?"
You all hear a slam as the block of wood that propped open the trap door falls inwards, and the door slams shut.
And for the second time in as many days I am forced to call upon the diva for light in a strange place. It's a good thing she's not crafty enough to be pulling something. Wears her intentions like a damn tabard.
Diva, can we get a light?
"One moment...Valo."
Light.
Kethaera's sword glowed like a torch shedding light and pushing back the dark.
"You do know that I have a name right?"
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Tarnagius shrugs.
Force of habit. Devils have... uses for the names of mortals. Phillip is probably a pseudonym given the fact that he's in enemy territory, this one he gestures to Pylos is a "ductor" in Egorian terms, a person of higher status than mine, parentage aside, so I'm not supposed to use terms of familiarity with him, and this one he gestures to Jules well, he's a halfling. Devils wouldn't bother, they're not useful thralls or spies because servants aren't allowed where the real decision-making happens since they aren't of noble blood. When you're a devil those things are very important.
So, shall we be heading down towards doom?
"So in other words it's a force of habit from your Egorian days? I see. Well I guess I can understand your reasoning, some of it at least."
She then turned to Phillip and nodded.
"It would seem so. Best we keep moving."
As she began moving forward she looked over her shoulder at Tarnagius and said, "Hopefully it is a habit that you'll eventually break. Especially when Thrune is ovethrown."
Jules will hand the silver dagger to Kethaera.
Jules walked behind everyone, somewhat quiet and taking in everything. Luckily, Halflings are rather hard people to scare.
"It could very well be a clever system of traps to make it appear haunted. Please let me take a look about."
Jules continued to investigate the room.
"That would be wise then," the half-elf said with a bit of worry on her face.
Jules does not find any traps, but his trapfinding ability reveals so magical residue around the trapdoor.
"There could have been something about this trapdoor but I don't see anything active." Jules looks back to the others. "It seems down may be our only option. Who would like to lead?"
Tarn and I will go.
Tarnagius nods and follows Phillip.
He notches an arrow and motions to the trapdoor. If anything comes out to attacks hen Phillip opens it, he'll shoot it. Otherwise, he puts his arrow away and climbs down, ax in hand.
"Do you want me to follow close behind so you can use my sword's light?"
She held up her sword so the others could use the light emitting from it.
Phillip nods.
When you open the trapdoor, you see that it descends 15ft. straight down. The ladder seems to be missing, and at the bottom you see a puddle of water.
So if we use that rope the diva found earlier we can hold it while Jules climbs down.
Phillip ties the rope.
Five silvers on water and mud.
Land piranha.
"I don't bet on people's lives. And if it's okay, I'll be praying to Shelyn that you'll be alright Jules."
Smiling, the half-elven bard held up her sword, letting the light shed where the rope lead to.
As Jules descends the rope....
lol just kidding, I'm not going to force him into this ;)
Jules blinks for a moment before placing his face in his palm.
"I believe I've heard this story before. Something akin to tying a halfling to a ten foot long pole." he said as he walked over to look down the hole.
He turned to Kethaera and held out a dagger, "Ms.Nightbreeze, if you would be so kind as to light up this dagger?"
If Kethaera complies, Jules tosses the dagger down the hole for a better look.
Kethaera nodded but noted that she could only have one light spell going at a time. She cast the spell on the dagger which caused the light spell surrounding her sword to fade like a dying torch while the dagger's light started to glow like a flame being born.
Jules! Wai- Tarnagius is too late as Jules throws the dagger down the hole.
All the debris we have laying about, the rocks the pieces of wood, and you throw a weapon down the hole? Next time lets not use something useful.
While the half-elf was about to say to something, then she had an idea thanks to Tarnagius.
"Actually Tarnagius you gave me an idea: how about I cast a light spell on the rope?"
hilt
slightly
When Jules tosses the enlightened dagger down the shaft, the hilt smacks onto the cold stone floor. Its leather binding unwraps and the handle is bent slightly.
The puddle that it lands in reflects a series of rainbows. (Grease)
Jules shrugs at Tarnagius and holds the side of his coat out revealing 3 more daggers and his short sword. He smiled as he secured the coat again.
He pulled and lit a torch before handing it to Kethaera. "I wished to use the light spell in case the liquid down there was water. In which case a torch would extinguish. However it seems that it isn't water at all but some sort of grease."
Jules took hold of the rope and began to descend. "Now that there is light and less likelihood of an ambush. I shall descend. Wish me luck."
Kethaera nodded and held the torch up as she watched Jules climbed down the rope.
She began to wonder what they would find here. She hoped that whatever it was, it would help them immensely in rebuilding the Silver Ravens.
She was also thinking of an idea that she had gotten from Pylos's mask....
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Softly humming a funeral dirge as the halfling is lowered into the hole, Pylos took to examining his companions. Kethaera was always a good subject for watching, a very beautiful woman who knew what she liked. And very passionate about everything.
The halfling currently climbing down was an interesting person. A quick wit, and seemingly prepared for just about everything judging by the disguise kit he had and the plethora of weaponry under his coat.
Tarnagius, he was a little iffy on. While he didn't doubt his desire to get rid of his cousin from ruling Kintargo, just what was in it for the academician?
And he had nothing of Philip. Just meeting him that day, and only really seeing him in action against a couple of dogs, he had nothing to go on, though being from Andoran was a plus in his book for this endeavor.
Turning to Kethaera, he asked quietly, "So, what do you think of our friends?"
1. ?? Prepared Action
2. Kethaera, and Tarnagius
3. ??
4. Pylos, Jules, and Phillip
As Jules lowers himself into the puddle of grease, four rocks are thrown in each direction. Each and everyone of them miss Jules, but the last projectile was a stream of piping hot vomit, which coats Jules from the head down. All around him, 5 tiny blue goblin-like creatures with wings shout curses in a strange language.
Kethaera was about to answer Pylos's question when she heard something below.
Something must be happening to Jules!
Concern appeared on her face as she grabbed the rope saying to Pylos, "Don't worry I'll answer your question later but I think Jules needs our help!"
Let Tarn and I go first, we'll need a strong front.
Tarnagius puts his bow away and shimmies down the rope after Phillip.
Kethaera reached out and went to grab Tarnagius as he fell.