Zed arcs an eyebrow at Sunny 'arming' herself, but doesn't say anything. As the door continuously gets hammered on Zed speaks in between rings "Well met Varian, glad to have someone like you along"
Sunny also rifles through the Orc's pockets...looking for loose change.
Thence, with more deft cuts from the dagger, she ties him up in the ruins of his own clothing.
"So...where d'ye think we be?" She asks no one in general.
Lyrralt is grateful for the weapon and gives Zed a nod. "Not quite my style but it is still good to have a bit of steel in my hands. By the way, my name is Lyrralt Calil. Happy to meet everyone. I can already tell this is a lively bunch." Lyrralt gives a deep bow.
Lyrralt steps up to the dwarf and casts Cure Light Wounds. If this brings the fellow out of unconsciousness he looks down on him and smiles, "Good morning, my friend. I hope your accomodations have been comfortable. However, I feel our stay here might be at an end. You are welcome to join us, and assist us, if you like."
With that he turns to walk out of the cell, then stops and turns around. "How silly of me! My name is Lyrralt, the hammer toting fellow is Varian. The other gentleman discussing business with the orc is Zed and our local carpenter, the little lady is...well I don't think I know her name. And you are?
In the back room you find dozens of packs, and various gear... some packed away in shelves, some in piles.
There is a rack of 4 clubs, 2 whips, 20 feet of chains, and 5 manacles locked in a metal grate cabinet.
There is also a desk with inkpens, a few vials of ink, and blank parchment... plus two locked drawers.
In and around the chest you find a small masterwork chest (empty), a few cloaks, 1 dagger, 2 shortswords, 1 longsword, 1 hand axe, 1 shortbow, 1 longbow, 2 quivers, 14 arrows. All blades have sheaths. None of the weapons look familiar.
Zed looks at the loot and listens to the recount. He smiles when he sees the cloaks as a dark green one is revealed "Ah that's mine, was a gift from the elves." he things about the drawers "Can anybody open the locked drawers? I'm sure we could break it open but I don't want to break anything that's inside"
Upon hearing a cache of weapons has been discovered Lyrralt walks over and takes a look. He sets down the mace in favor of a short sword. Also, if noone claims the longbow he will grab it as well. Also, he reaches in and grabs a nice, if dirty, cloak. "The old man would never forgive me if I lost his cloak. Well, if he would remain sober long enough to remember it was gone, that is."
Sunny skips into the room and checks out the gar with every one else. Upon seeing the small chest she gives out a little 'squee' of glee and quickly scampers over to it, flipping the lid and searching inside.
Once that's done, she looks through whatever else is in the room. Deftly picking out what is hers. Sunny then looks for any little bits of metal that will help her in investigating the locked drawers.
She nods to the others.
"Folks call me 'Sunny'. They just dun't seem ta' have tha' knack of sayin' it in me people's speech." She glances to Zed.
"Which Elfs was that?" She asks.
One side of Zed's lip curls up "Tiasar's, the conjurer. I did him a favor. That's a story for another time though" he looks to see how the progress is going on the door
Once she's gotten together that which she thinks is hers, using some of the rope found to make straps with which to carry the chest easier she too joins the others at the door out.
"Ah, so it were An Elf an' not a bunch of Elfs." She nods in understanding.
Yes the chest is yours. Your gold is in the false bottom. You have been able to construct 6 darts from when you started in your cell to now - 45 seconds after Varian started "working on" the south door.
Inside the desk are six labeled healing potions (cure moderate), a very nice flask, a wand, and a quality dagger (on the butt of the dagger is an onyx inlay of a black tower with tiny black runes radiating around.)
After a good 30 seconds of bashing, Varian destroys enough of the door to reach through and lift the bar. There is complete silence in the hallway which runs left and right past the south door.
Seeing the door is open and no immediate threats, Varian goes to see what sort of equipment he might find, especially perhaps some of his own mundane items.
After Lyrralt arms himself he walks over to the recently "opened" door and keeps an eye out with an arrow nocked in the longbow. Glancing every now and then to the dwarf to see if he awakens, still unsure if the stocky fellow can be considered a friend or foe.
Varian collects his own spell component pouch, takes the longsword and straps it on since no one else claimed it, and the short bow and some arrows. He also claims his own travel-stained cloak. THen he moves back to the door and stands behind Lyrralt, ready to move out and fire in either direction should trouble present itself.
"Wonder which way that dwarf went when he left here."
Zed looks at the dwarf "I don't know his story, but if he's locked up here I'm sure he's on our side" he throws the dwarf over his shoulders if he can
"Not sure which way he went. How do you trust your luck today, good Varian? I will give you first choice on our journey to freedom. So which shall it be: the left, or the right? They both seem so inviting too." Smiling the whole time he is speaking to Varian, but not taking his eyes off the hallway.
"And Zed, thanks for grabbing the dwarf. I was hoping my healing spell would have brought him back up."
The dwarf seems to be in a semi-conscious haze... and underfed, but a cursory look shows no signs of injury... the black eyes now faded with Lyrralt's healing.
There are torches on the wall of the hallway every 40 or 50 feet... leaving a narrow band of darkness in between each radial glow of the torches. To the right are two torches... five are visible to the left.
"I have no idea which way to go... but like you say, one way is as good as another, we can always retrace our steps if we must. Let's take the right path then." Bow on his back, the earthbreaker still in his hands, Varian slips past Lyrralt and begins moving down the right corridor, wary of what might be coming at his back, hoping the others are right behind him.
Lyrralt allows Varian and the others to slip past in order to take up a rear guard. Using an arrow to scratch a line in the left wall every so often in case they have to backtrack.
"Even underfed, dwarves are a stocky lot. If you need a break from that burden Zed I can carry him for a bit if you would take up the rear guard."
Zed grunts and shifts his arm "Ill take you up on that when my arm gets tired" he shifts so he has a free hand, then chants a few words in an undertone and summons another light. This one doesn't seem nearly as fancy, but it gives them a way to see. Whenever Lyrralt takes over carrying the dwarf Zed uses acidic magic to leave marks in the same way he was doing "Sunny, take the vanguard with Varian. Whoever isn't carrying the dwarf will watch the back"
The path to the right turns 90 degrees and then another 90 degrees after five feet. After this the hallway ends in about 40 feet. There is a doorway on the left (north) side halfway down this short hall.
Sunny skips along toting one of the chests and seeming quite happy and content with herself. At Zed's words she nods and responds with a chirpy "Okeys!" as she flounces to the front of the group. (^_^)
"So...um..which one be this 'Vanguard' feller?" She asks, looking at every one. 'Izz-at tha' Dwarf?" She looks puzzled.
Zed smiles "Well I'm afraid he can't help us right now, but maybe he'll pay up back for this later" As they reach the door Zed signals everybody to be quiet and sets down the dwarf. He signals Sunny to get on the right side of the door, Varian to get behind him, and Lyrralt to be behind Sunny. As everybody gets into place he opens the door as quietly as possible and peaks through
Sunny nods showing she understands Zed's hand signals, gently and quietly puts down the chest she is carrying and crouches on her side of the door frame.
Wearing nothing but ragged strips of cloth about her arms and legs and gripping naught but a wooden splinter in each fist, the sun browned Elf strikes a rather less than threatening pose.
Lyrralt gets in position with an arrow ready.
You find a room of cells nearly identical to the one you were in... except there is no north door, and it appears to be completely empty.
Varian takes up his own position, earthbreaker at the ready.
Zed relaxes and pushes the door the rest of the way open, letting the others see "Other way it seems" he closes the door again
Varian shrugs, and about this time, the earthbreaker reabsorbs into his hands and he walks back down the corridor without drawing another weapon, retracing his steps.
"It seems I chose the wrong direction... at least we know nothing will be coming up behind us.."
You continue down the hall. After passing the doorway to the cells from which you awoke, you come to yet another closed and barred door on your left.
From here you can see the end of the hallway... maybe 150 feet away. It is not immediately clear to those more dependent on light, but it looks like the end of the hallway is a "T" intersection going left and right.
Zed shrugs, and signals for everybody to do the same formation to open this door
Stealth
Perception
Zed opens the next door... another similar room. This one has no torches on the back wall, and is particularly dark.
The darkness is particularly dark... and silent.
If only the dwarf was up...
Zed signals for them to hand him a torch, and after casting light on it he tosses it into the middle of the room
Seeing the edges of yet more cells, Sunny takes an educated guess and tumbles into the room (And the torch being tossed inside), hence the darkness to come up behind the inner 'left' pillar that supports the ceiling in this room.
Even as Zed's torch goes sailing into the darkness. Trying to use the thrown torch as a distraction as the shadows of the place shift and move to get into position.
Hence Sunny is betting there's some one or something hiding in here. Her aim to to have cover, use the torch as a distraction and thence be listening for movement etc.
Sadly, she does not have the feats for 'Blind Fighting' so she'll be winging it this combat.
Lyrralt will stand by the doorframe, using is for partial cover, with his bow at the ready. Seeing Sonny fearlessly roll into the room he smiles, knowing this is gonna be interesting.
The magically illuminated torch arcs into the room, and lands in the center on the floor. (no table in the center of this room) The torch lessens the darkness around it... you see the repeated dim vertical glint of the cell bars from the torch, and a few difficult to discern figures within the cells.
In front of each set of cells, stands a bluish-skinned figure (about the size of a lanky halfling) in robes. Both hold black gem-tipped rods.
You also did not see the rod-wielding figures tracking you with their gaze as you moved into the room.
They are difficult to see, but you should be able to get off a shot from here. You can't tell if they see you in particular or not... but they are looking in the direction of the door through which you are looking.
After everybody gets in Zed closes the door and takes out the mace "No reason to get violent here, you're clearly outnumbered and outmatched" then he walks forward with the mace on his shoulder
Diplomacy
The word "outmatched" gets cut off at the end.
The two rod wielders glance to each other, as if deciding what to do now...
The silence is absolute as you step forward
... after a moment one of them nods, then makes a gesture "shooing" Zed away.
Zed arcs an eyebrow, then steps back out of the silence "Well that's an interesting trick. I'll make you a deal, show us what's back there and we'll be off"
Sunny, not being able to hear what Zed is saying, takes a quick peek around the pillar she's hiding behind.
And promptly doesn't see anything important, like. :P
Yes you do... they are derro. A subterranean race known abduct surfacers and conduct experiments. They have a few "magic" abilities, and are vulnerable to sunlight. You don't know much more of them than that.
actually... you can hear sounds from outside the area... no sounds can be made within the sphere of silence. You can just barely see a couple forms in the cells on your side
The rod-wielding bluish creature in robes who shooed Zed away makes an expression like he is being inconvenienced. He holds a hand up with his palm facing the other, as if saying wait or stay. He then reaches toward the torch with his free hand, and the torch slides to him... the derro then sets down his rod, and starts to backpedal to the rear of the room with the torch in hand.
As the creature approaches the back Zed stays still, but he mentally prepares himself to stop the creature
When the torch slides closer, you are close enough to see two prisoners in the cells farthest back on your left.
"It's possible these prisoners could be more dangerous than we'd like to set free. Maybe we should figure out who or what they are before we do something... precipitous."
Still despite his warning, Varian moves into the room to see if he can get a better look at who or what is imprisoned within the silence fields.
Just as the small robed figure starts to move away, you see a bearded human beating on the bars silently from within the furthest back cell. He looks like he is trying to get Zed's attention.
In the cell one closer, you see a figure collapsed on the floor near the bars.
Neither prisoner shows any clear indication of their degree of potential threat to you or their reason for imprisonment.
The small robed figure holding the torch slows as Varian moves into the room, but then begins to backpedal toward the back wall again. The back wall is bare... with no visible door.