"While I am for alternate means of entry, I seem to have misplaced some of my tools..." As he hunts through his pack and sighs as he pulls out a crowbar. "Purely for professional reasons of course." He adds hastily.
"Perhaps we just walk around and see if there is an open window? Or perchance our associate could 'Section Omega' our way in?"
"Are there none among us who simply cannot get this persons signature?"
Parisos glances at Kon-Tao.
"I suspect that is what the Senator meant by being unable to gain access. Needing one signature leads to needing three more authorizations and so on ad infinitium."
He takes another draw on his pipe.
"You can try that way if you like, but I would just as soon skip the waste of time."
The building doesn't seem to be terribly large, considering it's supposed to be a stockpile/archive of books and scrolls. The building is of marble, a single story, about twenty feet wide and fifty feet long. There is a visible stream of smoke coming from the near the center of the gently-peaked rooftop. No chimney, so perhaps a skylight...
Parisos drew on his pipe, thinking on the problem at hand. His eyes idly followed his smoke stream up into the air; then he noticed something similar coming from the top of the building.
Realizing the possibility, he draws his companions around the corner out of sight of the guards.
"Do you see the smoke? And yet no chimney. This suggests an entry point."
Broderick's eyes light up at the prymidian's comment. "Now we're talking!" Putting the the crowbar back into his bag, he rummages around before triumphantly presenting his grapple hook.
"Let's see if we cant find ourselves a way in!" and looks around for a spot on the building that is away from the prying eyes of the guards and public.
Perception:
Parisos frowns.
"Smoke without a chimney..." He muttered aloud. "I truly hope they haven't set the place on fire in there..."
"Well if they have set the place ablaze then it makes our mission all the more pressing."
It appears to be coming from the midpoint of the rooftop. The building itself is only a single story, with a gently peaked roof of ceramic tile. One could easily reach the rooftop's edge by standing on another person's shoulders.
"Well if they have set the place ablaze then it makes our mission all the more pressing."
"Exactly! We are investigating this as concerned citizens, you know for the greater good and all that.... Now someone give me a boost!"
Ranged Touch:
Rolling to assist Broderick:
I don't think you can assist with a grappling hook throw, but if you want to boost him up to the roof, that will work.
Broderick stands on Amon's shoulders and hauls himself up to the rooftop. Picking his way carefully up the tile incline, he finds...
"Oh.... it's just some charcoal." Broderick states, sounding quite disappointed. "There is some man writing in a book nearby, let me see if I can get a better look..." as he leans his head in for a more in-depth view.
"Hello there!" as he waves "I'm here on Senate business, do you think I could get down from here? I've got papers and everything!" pointing at his breast pocket.
He also flings a boot at his fellow to inform them of his plight.
"Who is next up?" Parisos asked his companions, offering a boost.
The scholar looks a bit confused. "Then why not just come in the door? By the Sanguine Lord you'll likely break your neck trying to come in that way."
Meanwhile as the rest of the party prepares to climb to the roof, one of the guards at the door comes around the side of the building, looking for the source of the noise. He looks momentarily surprised, then scowls, calling for his partner. She joins him and the two begin to head toward the group, looking a little displeased.
Seeing the guards approach, Master Parisos says "Guards", then casts Vanish.
He then makes his way around the guards back to the entrance and goes in.
"Well, I saw this smoke and thought there might be a fire... give me a minute here."
Broderick will lower himself via grappling hook and rope to the floor. Dusting off his pants and coat, he extends his hand to the robed man.
"The name's Broderick!"
Still looking confused, the man takes Broderick's offered hand. "I'm Abram, Junior Archivist."
Meanwhile, outside, Master Parisos vanishes from sight. The two guards stride forward toward the three remaining visible members of the group.
"What are you up to now?" asks the female guard. "And where did your friend go?"
"A Junior Archivist you say? That means you should be able to help me find these..."
Fumbling around his pocket for the list of scrolls/tomes Broderick adjusts his analyzer and starts to read off some of the titles. "... and finally 'Cavians: Plague or Misrepresented Benefactors?', by Eloy Diavollo. Would you happen to know where I could find these?"
"Err..yes, umm...but I still don't see why you just didn't go through the door. How would jumping down through the roof into a building on fire be of any help? You could have just warned the guards out front..." Abram trails off, rubbing his hands together and glancing nervously around the room.
"Speaking of the guards, I'll just check on them and see if they'd like to come in and warm themselves at the brazier...perhaps help carry these things you need up from the archive, yes?" He walks quickly to the door, turning his head this way and that, peeking around in the corners of the room as if expecting something to jump out at him.
"Waiting for our friends to return with what we require." Kon-Tao says honestly.
Appearing again inside the archive, Master Parisos looks around for an index, like a card catalog or something.
"Master Cromwell. Do you have a lead on the relevant documents?"
Abram heads for the door, which suddenly swings open of its own accord. Master Parisos has time to just register the form of the thin, robed man in front of him before he shrieks and dives behind a pile of books screeching "No, please, by the Sanguine Lord, don't hurt me!" as he huddles face down on the floor.
Then he notes the brazier sitting below the hole in the roof, and a very confused looking Broderick.
Meanwhile, outside, the guards are interrupted in their questioning of the party by a terrified shriek that seems to be coming from inside the building. The two turn away from you and run back around to the door, weapons at the ready.
"Please just Broderick, and I think it might be somewhere around here..." As Broderick investigates the surroundings for something that would function as a directory (specifically the desk that Abram was working on).
Looking at the quivering mass that is Abram, Broderick whispers to Master Parisios: "He seems to be far too excitable for Senate work... maybe it has something to do with the strange behavior that Senator Croy spoke of."
Broderick will focus using his analyzer at Abram with both detect magic and poison to see if maybe something is afflicting the skittish Archivist.
Broderick takes a moment to check his analyzer, finding no signs of any toxins or magical energies that might explain the man's odd behavior.
Abram, meanwhile, recovers quickly, looking a bit embarrassed as he picks himself up off the floor and adjusts his robes. At that point, the two guards rush into the room, halberds at the ready. Seeing Broderick and Parisos there, the female guard scowls.
"Are you alright Archivist? Have these two assaulted you?" she asks. "We'll have them arrested immediately."
At this Abram bristles, puffing himself up and stepping in front of the guards.
"Arrested? Are you mad? I've been beside myself waiting for these people to arrive and pick up some important documents to be presented to a committee today. If those documents don't get there in time my job is at stake! And you want to arrest them? Why, they've told me that you refused them entrance despite displaying their credentials. Is that so?"
By this time the scowl has faded from the female guard's face and her partner looks ready to back out of the room.
"Er...yes, but they did not have the proper papers to--" she starts to reply before Abram gruffly cuts her off.
"Oh, I see! So despite being duly appointed members of the Senatorial workforce, you assumed they were enemy spies, no doubt. In doing so, you've put my livelihood in jeopardy for the sake of rote bureaucracy. Thank the Sanguine Lord that the Imperial Men-at-Arms are recruiting such sharp minds as yours to protect us from improper acquisition of archived documents. Yes, thank you so much for the extra strain on my sanity and well-being! Now let the rest of them in here immediately before I report your ineptitude to your watch commander! Now!!! If I have to explain the tardiness of these documents to come before the proper people, I will not be kind when explaining your involvement, rest assured!"
This tirade sends the two guards outside to quickly collect the rest of your party and escort them in.
Meanwhile, Abram turns back to Broderick and Parisos, all traces of anger gone from his face and a sly grin on his face.
"Well, it seems I've solved a little problem of yours. Now, perhaps you and your companions can help me with mine," he says with a wink.
"You have indeed sir, and we are grateful. What is the nature of your problem?" Inquired Parisos solicitously, lighting his pipe absently with a flick of his thumb.
At this point, you see a bit of Abram's bravado fade. "In a moment, once the rest of your bunch is here."
When the rest of the group is present and the guards have sheepishly withdrawn, Abrams clears his throat and continues.
"Well, you see, I am duty-bound to help you procure the titles you seek. However, I will not venture down below to the archives at present because...well, I'm fairly certain it's haunted. No one else believes me, because when the Men-at-Arms investigated they found nothing." Abrams pauses and gives a visible shudder. "When I'm the only one present, though, I hear things and see things. There's something down there, I'm certain of it."
"You wish us to investigate? I see no impediments to our assistance. Let us see what we may see. How do we get down there from here?" Parisos said, looking around for a stairway.
As the guards depart Broderick will wave happily at them.
"When I'm the only one present, though, I hear things.."
"Are you the only one normally here?? When did this start occurring?" Broderick questions, while warming his hands by the fire.
Abram bites his lip. "There are normally two Apprentice Archivists serving under me. One asked to be transferred out after recent incidents. The other...left. At least, I hope he left. He was the last one here the other night and never showed up again since."
Nodding as if he understands, Broderick continues the investigation: "What do you see? And what do you hear? Voices? Do they tell you to do things?"
Abram casts an odd look at Broderick when he asks the last two questions, shakes his head, and attempts to explain. "I'm not losing my mind, if that is what you're implying. This persistent chill is part of it. It's been cold in here before, but this isn't normal. Also, I see movement out of the corners of my eye, like something creeping in the shadows. It's worse downstairs. There will be noises. Things will move. Books topple off shelves, scrolls fall out of their holders. Nothing has been damaged, yet, but certain pieces have gone missing. At times I get the peculiar feeling that I'm being watched."
"Perhaps greater ventilation is required in the building in order to cycle fresh air? I am to understand mold build up is the cause of many mental maladies including paranoia and hallucinations. A common problem in the city I am to understand with old buildings."
"I doubt book mold could cause such problems but maybe..." Taking a moment to pause Broderick digs through his papers stuffed into his pocket, scanning them before shaking one (heavily crumpled piece of parchment) in triumph. "Aha! It could be a Cavian sleeper cell using ordinary mice and rats as their main operatives! Obviously they have gathered wind of our operation and have been subtly sabotaging this institution in preparation for some nefarious scheme!"
Adjusting his analyzer once more, Broderick nods towards Master Parisios "But to be sure, as my companion asked... how do we get 'downstairs'?"
Abram shakes his head at Kon-Tao's suggestion. "No, no. We Archivists work diligently to ensure that the records and books in our keeping are kept intact. We watch for water leakage, mold, bookworms and other vermin, and take immediate measures."
At Broderick's suggestion, Abram looks rather alarmed. "Cavians? Do you think so? Sanguine Lord protect us!" You can almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he processes this, his eyes wandering to Amon's uniform. "A Section Omega operative... Oh, no! Are they in my mind? There...there won't be any permanent damage will there?" The poor fellow seems prepared to bolt at this point.
As for the entrance to the archives, there is a staircase at the back of the building that leads down below the floor level, readily visible without direction from the Archivist.
Glancing around, Parisos spots the stairway down.
"Ah! There we have it. Come then, there is nothing for it but to perform a survey and see what may be seen." He drew on his pipe again, puffing with interest.
Parisos paced towards the stairway, staff held in a defensive manner. Cautiously he looked down the stairwell.
The stairway descends into darkness, though there is a lantern hanging from a hook on the left wall about halfway down the flight of steps.
Master Parisos picks up the lantern from its hook, checks it for malfunctions, then he makes it flare to life with a waive of his finger.
He looks back to make sure the others are with him.
"Gentlemen? Shall we proceed?"
Nodding in ascent to Parisos, Broderick draws his crossbow and knocks a bolt. "I'll be right there!" Turning towards Abram he puts a re-assuring hand on the skittish archivists shoulder. "Worry not Abram, we're specialists." Hoping not to have the scholar causing a larger disturbance.
And begins his descent behind Master Parisos, crossbow at the ready.
Abram, brow furrowed, gives a nervous cough.
"Er, I suppose I should go down with you. After all, it is my job to help you find what you're looking for. Also, I'm not supposed to let anyone into the stacks unsupervised. I'll try not to get in the way while you...exercise any specialties that may be required."
That said, he grabs up a candle lamp from his writing desk and moves in behind the party as they descend the stairs.
At the bottom of the stairs you realize that the lower level is much, much larger than the building upstairs. You see row after row of shelves stretching on past the light from the lamp to either side of you, the aisle in front of you is five feet wide and sits between two rows of tall shelves that stretch off into the distance. The air is cool and dry. You think you can hear faint echoes in the darkness, scrabblings...or perhaps rustlings, or maybe just echoes of your own movements. It's hard to be certain.
Parisos raises the lantern and looks around myopically.