Seeing nothing unusual around the door, Trem pushes and pulls the door lightly, but the door seems to be closed tight.
Visruþ will relate to the others what Zooif said in Polyglot:
• Lizard men, who usually aren't this far south, did this about a week ago
• She was blamed for the death of some of her tribe's young, hence her exile
• She does have a few civet pelts for trading
"I will help Trem search this place."
Visruþ then excuses himself from the others to help Trem search the fort.
"Find anything?" he asks Trem.
Seeing nothing unusual around the door, Trem pushes and pulls the door lightly, but the door seems to be closed tight.
When Visruþ shows up next to him, Trem nods to acknowledge his presence and looks back at the door trying to see if he can deduce what could be blocking it.
"Like the first door we tried, this one is blocked also. Wanted to ask Sarari to ram it down, but didn't want to startle our new friend over there. Can you ask if she knows anything about what behind the doors. I wouldn't want to smash down the door if she knows how to open it."
Visruþ nods and turns to the others …
« Zooif? Ngaba uyazi ukuba yintoni na emva nayiphi kwezi iingcango? »
"Can I help?" Sulia asks, innocently wandering around.
After another inspection, Trem catches a glimpse of a lock inside.
Zooif shrugs indifferently.
"Andazi, hayi kuba khona. Iingcango zivaliwe kwaye ndandingakwazi ungayivulayo. Ndibe namagumbi aphezulu."
"She didn't bother with the doors."
"She climbed the walls instead."
"Bodies might be blocking the doors."
"Can you pick locks?" Trem says answering Sulia. "Guess we will use the brute strength method then." Moving aside, he look at Sarari.
She gives him a smile and then charges the door as hard has she can.
"Nope!" she replies, brandishing her heavy mace. "I just knock harder."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Visruþ stands nearby.
Ready for anything that might pop out of the door Sarai knocks open.
Also expecting the stench of dead bodies to come out of the room.
The door withstands the first slam, but as Sarari continues to smash it, the hinges and the wood give up.
Wood-and-metal racks — their hinges slightly corroded from the tropical humidity — line the walls of the room, each fitted with an assortment of arms and armor. There is an unpacked crate in the corner, but you can see only straw from the entrance.
"Ngaba kuba ezinengxolo ngakumbi?" Zooif mutters.
Ignoring Zooif's comment, which is easy since he doesn't understand, Trem walks into the room with Sarari following behind.
"What do we have here... This seem to be the armory. Might be worth it to salvaged a few things in here."
Trem approach the unpacked crate. This cautious of traps and other nasty surprise, he take his time to inspect the crate first.
Finding nothing, he tries to open it to see what inside. Sarari move closer to inspect the weapons that are on the racks. She tries to see what is still good, and if anything stand out.
Upon a closer inspection Sarari finds five short swords, three longswords, four light crossbows, two heavy crossbows, sixty bolts, four suits of leather armor, two suits of studded leather armor, four heavy wooden shields and a masterwork breastplate.
A crate in the corner is packed with straw and contains four short swords, four longswords and one hundred and fifty crossbow bolts. Trem also finds a note in there.
"She said we're too noisy. Probably true here."
Then, to switch topics,
"Who is this Vethorn? Someone from the colony?"
Saurek chuckles at Zooif's Comment. Then looks around realizing they have an open flame, are making allot of sounds, and no real way to keep the outside world out, in what to him is a foreign Jungle.
Guys we might want to explore the areas already available to us before breaking any more doors down. There might be a back door to one of these rooms or even a key possibly.
After saying this to his allies he turns back to Zooif and their lunch.
Yintoni amathuba into eyingozi kuza ngolu hlobo?
Saurek gives one of the roasting dinosaurs a little turn on it's spit.
Yinto kwilali enkulu. ukuba mna umntu uya kuthenga kufunwa iimfele bakho ukuba ufuna ukuba abe ngohamba nathi
Saurek grunts and pulls the most done looking lizard off the fire and casts purify food and water on it.
Wena wathi amacikilishe ababethwele imizimba ezincinane, wenza ubone kubo bonke?
Saurek cuts piece of meat off the dinosaur and takes a taste. He cuts a larger piece off and hands it to Zooif.
What are the chances of something dangerous coming this way?
It's a big village. I am sure someone will buy your pelts if you wish to travel with us.
You said that the Lizards were carrying small bodies, did you see them at all or have a guess as to who they might be?
Trem grabs a bolt from the racks and slide it in his quiver to replace the one he shot earlier.
"That be great if we could find a key or some other way to get in the last room."
Moving to another rack, he start taking off his armour and, if no one stop him, he start putting on one of the studded leather.
Once he his done, he goes back into the first room that Sarari opened during the battle and start searching it for clues or keys.
But since he has no idea what he is looking for, he doesn't really find anything. He will then follow with a search of the kitchen.
Where the smell make him do it from the doorway. Walking back toward the group, he asks Saurek. "How many days ago did she said this fort was attacked again?"
"About a week ago."
"Andimbonanga na into eyingozi kakhulu apha kwiveki yokugqibela," Zooif shrugs. "Akuthethi ukuba akukho apho."
She bites into the meat and answers Saurek question only after she chewed and swallowed the chunk.
"Eneneni, imizimba wakhangela unjengaye, kodwa imnyama mfutshane," she points to Trem.
"Actually, the bodies looked like him, but darker and shorter."
Ansado goes with Trem to search for clues.
Ansado's search reveals a hidden cache behind the portrait, containing a hundred gold pieces.
Irritated by constant noise and walking near the kitchen, two centipedes crawl out of the westernmost cupboard, hissing and moving their mandibles. A moment later two more join them, crawling out of the crack in the decayed floor.
Initiative:
Centipedes
Average 12
Ansado
Sau're'!K
Sulia
Trem
Visruth
Average 15
--------------------
"Those are big bugs!
Visruþ pulls out his rapier and waits to see what the centipedes do next.
(holds his action)
Sulia, leaning against the wall of the building while the grippli and Saurek talk, will draw her heavy mace and shield again. "What's going on in there?" she asks, trying to look through the doorway.
Seeing the big vermin crawling out of their hiding place, Trem can't help but feel a bit disgusted. "We got large ugly critters here."
Dropping his crossbow, he take out his dagger and swing wildly at the closest one. Unable to connect with the creature, there is a worried look on his face.
Sarari, being the better fighter, attack the centipede with one swift and powerful move. She hits the creature straight on and inflict a deep wound. She then move closer to Trem in hope of offering support in the fight.
Ansado takes a swing with his sword, but is inexperienced fighting in a closed space and his strike goes wide.
Visruþ runs in between Trem and Sarai and casts a Colour Spray spell at the remaining centipedes, hoping to end the fight quickly.
At the sound of commotion Saurek calmly stands up... handing the rest of the lizard to Zooif and then moves off to see what the commotion is.
When Saurek moves off Rekth follows after and double moves into the room with the fighting.
The centipedes seem to ignore Visruþ's spell, as they continue their hissing and wriggling. One of them bites Sarari barely scratching her skin , while two others try to do the same to Ansado, but their mandibles meet the leather of the boot, not his skin.
Rekth attacks the centipede closest to him and then steps back as Saurek forces his way past him.
Saurek moves up pushing past Rekth and stabs at one of the centipedes.
Seeing everyone rushing in to handle some bugs, Sulia shrugs and puts her mace away and squats down next to the grippli. They have everything well at hand and it would be rude to rush off and leave their guest wondering.
"Hi!" She says in common, holding out a hand. "I'm Sulia, and I just love your skin color! It's so pretty!"
Disappointed his spell wasn't any use against the centipedes, Visruþ tries to skewer the last one with his rapier:
The last centipede writhes violently on Visruþ's rapier but not for long - soon it stops moving and slips down on the floor.
Having caught your breath after meeting with local fauna, you spot a wooden trunk in the corner of the kitchen. A brief examination shows that it contains a healer’s kit, two bottles of antiplague, two bottles of antitoxin, four bottles of bloodblock, and two sunrods, as well as bandages, wood alcohol, needles, thread, splints, and herbal tinctures.
Zooif stares at Sulia. "Intoni? Ufuna ukudla?"
She then stretches her hand with one of the lizards to Sulia.
"Well, those are nice supplies, but still no key to open the last door in the court yard. Shall we have a look upstair."
Trem turn around to climb the ladder but stop and hesitate. He looks to Sarari. "Ladies first" She smile, putting her longsword back in it's scabbard and climb the ladder.
Sarari opens the creaking trap door and climbs up into the room. At once a long wooden table covered in scattered paperwork strikes the eye, filling much of this room. A decapitated human corpse is slumped across the mess. Aside from the ladder, there are two exits in the room - one door to the south and the other to the east.
Visruþ will go up the ladder (after Trem) and checks the room
"Another body. Probably no survivors."
He then goes through the door to the East.
Carefully.
Saurek pokes his head out into the courtyard. We're going to explore a bit and look for more clues about the killers.
He then repeats himself in polyglot.
Siza kujonga ejikelezayo intluva malunga amacikilishe. Ngaba Ungakhathazeka tatking ukutya off ngomlilo ukuze ungabinako aqhumisele Zoos. Ukunceda wena kunjalo.
After addressing the two in the courtyard he follows the others upstairs.
Looking at the body Saurek holds up his spear. Those are wounds much like my own spear would make.
Then reaching down he picks up a piece of paper with a clawed footprint made out in blood. Our Grippli friends story is confirmed...Lizardfolk!
"Ok, so we know have proof that the lizard people did this, and we have a witness. What we don't have is a why?"
While Visruþ opened the eastern door, Trem goes for the southern one. Hoping to get to the next tower.
"No no."Sulia shakes her head, declining the food. She touches her breast."Sulia." she says, then pointing to her."Zooif." she says. "Food." she says, pointing to the lizard.
The grippli seem to get what Sulia is talking about now. She points finger at the girl and then at herself.
"Shuliya, Zhuiph," she struggles through unusual sounds. "Phud."
Trem, Sarari and Visruþ open the doors without any trouble and exit to the parapets. A wooden walkways, raised fifteen feet above the ground, connect towers of the fort. Thick logs form a makeshift barrier against the outside world, rising up two feet from the edge of the walkway.
Trem and Sarari carefully proceed to open the southern door. A single bench rests before a scene of destruction, with smashed pottery and broken statues dashed on the floor. Two child-sized corpses rest amid the detritus, peppered with arrows, and with blood smeared on the floor and debris around them. As with the previous room, there are two wooden doors - the one opened by Trem and Sarari and another one to the east.
A room with six wide arrow slits looking out over the surrounding marshland opens to Visruþ. Straw is piled up in the corner of this chamber, opposite a single ladder that descends to a lower level. Near the ladder there is a slightly ajar door. A lockbox rests beside the straw, with a pillow propped against it.
"That's so great!" Sulia exclaims happily, glad to have found some kind of common ground. She points at the food again, trying to remember the word she heard. "U-ukudla?" she asks.
"Found some more bodies here if anyone wants to come and inspect them."
First Trem opens the eastern door, to confirm that there is nothing there. Then he goes to the trap door. He opens it and look inside without going down. Trying to see if any surprise are waiting like large vermins or other danger.
If it look clear, he again waves at Sarari to go in first.
Visruþ will inspect the room as best he can
He will then push the pillow away from the box, using the end of rapier.
If that goes without incident he will see if he can open the box.
:/
Ansado goes with Visruþ, searching the room.
Saurek spends a minute not sure which group to follow when his friends split up. After Trem calls out about the bodies, Saurek heads that way to investigate.
Rekth looks at the ladder that everyone has climbed up and cocks his head then tries to follow the others... He stumbles at first buth then makes a second try and follows Saurek curious as to what is in this man made tree.