Perhaps....Adriel considers the apparent abilities of his new eleven allies. It may not be an issue, but if you two choose to scout forward, I have a cantrip which allows whispered conversation at a distance. But I need to see you.
Gryfford nods positively to Adriel's request and stays near him.
Taltōsh dismounted as well, and moved to help the dwarf as well.
As soon as that task was accomplished, the sage cast a spell to protect himself.
Arasmes approaches the building slowly, eyes closed.
Alexia pulls her bow and readies a blunted arrow, before stepping to the side of the door. "Someone want to open it and I will take a peak around them?"
Adriel stood at the rear, ready to call upon his hexes or magic.
Gryfford smoothly draws his falchion from its sheath.
Elorin takes a position next to Alexia and draws his bow. Sarenrae give us strength and guide our path through the darkness with your light.
"Thanks anyway Sarenrae, but I can see just fine in the dark" muttered Arasmes under his breath.
Have to make sure no one ever finds out how many Paladins I've been working with, or I'll be a pariah
"I shall see if I can sense any magic," Taltōsh said.
Moving to where he had a clear view of the door, Taltōsh cast a simple cantrip, the first that he had learned.
Elorin focuses on the door for a moment, still holding his bow ready.
Angus dismounts and draws his weapon as well. He moves to the door and looks at Elorin, "What do you sense? My eyes aren't as good as they used to be." He chuckles softly,
Elorin slowly lowers his bow, his eyes still trained on the door. "Sarenrae has shown me that the door gives of an aura of eviil. We must be careful."
"That's all well and good, but someone still needs to -open- it."
Alexia comments softly, with her bow still in hand and ready.
Adriel continues to remain at the rear, eying the burly fighter, Gryff would you mind please?
"Of course" Gryfford smiles sligthtly.
He puts his falchion back in its sheath, moves towards the door and opens it resolutely.
"I do sense faint magic," said Taltōsh.
The sage readied himself, with his spear in hand.
"I can't sense any Animates or Twiceborn"
As soon as Gryfford opens the door, Alexia is going to glance in from behind him and see how clear it is from the doorway. If her darkvision is needed then she will use it for this.
After a few tries, Gryff manages to just barely break the lock on the door.
The wooden door lets out a low creak as it swings inward. You can see inside there is a long low wooden table about 10 ft beyond the door. Past that are four rows of pews with an aisle running up the middle. Everything is covered in a thin layer of dust and cobwebs dangle from the sconces on the walls.
At the front of the Sancutary room is another table draped with a frayed bluish covering. On it are several burned out candles an an old religious text. Along the back wall is a small altar with a statue of a figure on it. Off to the right and left of the main altar area you can see the room leads of to passageways.
Arasmes, crossbow in hand, starts to move towards the door. His training with his mother comes to the fore.
"Archers on watch? Who wants to go in first?"
"Taltosh? Where are you sensing magic from?"
Elorin nods his head and begins to move forwaard through the door, his bow drawn and ready. Sarenrae protects me.
Alexia nods slightly, "I am prepared and keeping watch,"
Adriel leans upon his quarterstaff at the rear. Chatterbeak keeps quiet.
"Sorry, Arasmes, I believe that I'm just sensing residual magic from long ago. Sometimes when items were enchanted in a location, or powerful magics were used there, it leaves a trace."
Taltōsh shrugged. "I don't think that it's relevant to our current situation."
Gryfford enters the building.
He puts his hand on the table, leaving his palm's print in the dust.
"Whoever has been there this past week has been remarkably unobstrusive" he remarks.
Gryfford walks past the wooden table, into the aisle running up the middle of the rows of pews. He puts his hands on his hips and looks all around him.
"If something wants to jump on me, it would be about time now !" he says aloud.
"... about time for me to gut it" he adds with a wicked smile.
Gryfford seems to thoroughly enjoys himself.
Elorin enters the building and steps to the right of the door following the wall towards the corner, his bow ready and traind towards any doorway out.
The room is eeriely silent as Gryff calls out his challenge. As you move about the room nothing seems to react.
As you move off around the room it seems that the side passges lead off to a kitchen(on the left) and some sort of small living quarters on the right.
Elorin moves to cover the passage to the right, giving himself enough room to fire his arrow if anything shows itself.
Adriel moves in cautiously. Staying close to the entrance
Alexia steps carefully in behind Gryfford, carefully inspecting the room while still keeping her bow ready.
Taltōsh followed the others into the building, taking in the features of the Sanctuary.
Gryfford approaches the altar and its statue.
He extends his arm and takes something behind the statue: a small wooden box.
He shows it to his companions.
"Do you have any idea of what could be inside ?"
He does not seem in any rush to open it.
Set it on the table and I will look.
Gryfford gently puts the box on the table.
Elorin turns hi head and looks at the box.
[Ooc]Detect Evil on the box[/b]
Elorin shake his head and looks back towards the passage.
Not being one for most material things, Alexia moves to take a peek in each of the back rooms/passage and keep a general watch while the others busy themselves crowded around the box.
The passage to the right opens into a small living chamber complete with four beds along the wall. None of which appear to be slept in. The wall across from the main chamber is a fireplace made of a dark brick. Nearby are various tools for stoking the fire. Along the opposite wall from the beds is a chest and a table with a stack of books on it.
The other passage across the way leads into a small kitchen like room. There is a large cauldron filled with a black liquid in it in one corner. Next to the cauldron is a wood-stove and a wine rack. There is a cabinet across the room from the stove.
"Living area looks used... something is over here though." She murmurs softly walking in to the kitchen and kneeling near where she saw the strange tiling for a closer look. "I'll bet this is a trap door."
Adriel mutters to himself as there is a soft Aura of Necromancy about the box but nothing else, he opens it to look inside as he keeps up with the rest.
Taltōsh hung back a little, trying to keep an eye on all the activity in case he was needed.
When you open the box you find two small leather pouches... one contains gold and the other contains a fine reddish orange powder.
Adriel pockets the Box for now. They can examine it properly later.
He tries to remain in the center, with allies all around.
"Perhaps you were all a little distracted out there with the box but I am fairly sure I found some sort of trap door or something off here in the kitchen." After reminding everyone she spotted something she is going to examine the floor more closely to figure out exactly what it is she found.
Thank you.
Arasmes waits until the others have all gone inside, then instructs his dog to warn him if anyone approaches.
Bracing himself in case there is, as he suspects, a ward against the Dark he crosses the threshold.
You can see that the tiles in the kitchen have been hastily relaid. You can easily see where one corner of tile hasn't been pushed down all the way.
When you remove the tile you see the edge of a wooden door and a hinge. As you take more tiles away a trapdoor appears. There is no lock on it and it appears to swing upward into the kitchen.