Bugsby finds a few bedrooms of the bandits that have been slain, a kitchen with about 2 weeks worth of food if you were to feed a dozen men, a trophy room with multiple deer mountings. In the sick room, the air seems heavy, but you do find more clothing and a few more weapons and armor. In the largest bedroom you find a large maple chest, and multiple magical auras glow from within.
Ten-penny seems flabbergasted over Kalt's comment, "Well, if'n you were in de Hold of Belkzen when we met, I'd say ye'd have reason ta question me. We ain't." she says, clearly getting a bit annoyed. "We be in Taldor in de middle of summah while walkin through snow up ta our waist. Fact o the matter is there be a dozen of ye winter fae guardin some portal to Irrisen further south. Dey brung ice elementals'n more, and are led by a frost troll named Ned Knotten. Dey never let me know where dey be located. Rokhar ranted'n raved about how dey going ta be giving'im an army'o those winter skeletons ta crush dat nearby town."
After a few minutes, the trap door and the frame around it is in splinters and there is sufficient room for someone to walk down a narrow staircase into a dank and chilly basement.
"You have my thanks, Lachna." Avora says, breathing comfortably now. Her mind fast recovering, she addresses Bugsby. "Did you say something about Sven getting married?"
"I tink it was more someone else opened it, and Rokhar joined up instead'a bein crushed under the boot. But yeah, dat Irrisen." says Ten-Penny.
Sven barely manages to squeeze into the cellar. A half-dozen boxes and barrels take up the majority of this underground cellar. A rough blanket lies spread on the floor in the southeast corner next to a bowl of half-eaten gruel. Bound and gaged, you find Lady Argentea
"Ten-Penny..." Avora muses aloud. "Why do they call you that, if I'm not being too nosy?"
As you unbind the lady, she remarks "You are not the Ulfen guard I left with? Have they sent another squad to crush that worm Rokhar with true strength? I would like him taken alive so I make have the pleasure of castrating him myself. Thank you, I can attend to the rest myself." It is clear to even Sven's unperceptive eyes that she recoils slightly from any touch.
Above, Ten-Penny laughs at Avora's inquiry. "It be a joke because I usta be a petty thief, and it seemed everything I took only sold fer ten pennies' less.
Ankih gives a quick bow to Lachna as she tends to Avora.
" Thanks be to you , Lady Dwarf. My healing is almost spent for the day."
He gets up from Avora's side and follows Sven down into the small space.
" Lady? Are you injured? How is she Sven?"He asks as he approaches her.
To Sven" Sven, did I hear Miss Ten-Penny correctly? Ice elementals, and Trolls ahead? I fear we must rest before continuing on then. Sounds like more fierce battles to be had."
Bugsby focuses his talents on the aura's in the chest, "oooh, sparkly!" he murmurs to himself as he tries to open the chest. Assuming he gets it open he studies the aura's and objects carefully, trying to identify his findings.
The small gnome strolls into the room with a bundle of the food he'd found in his arms, as well as a weapon or two, and a closed helmet on his head, his hat carefully placed atop the helmet. "Oh! IsthisthePollinatingLady?" he asks in a metal-muffled voice when he spots Argentea.
He also recalls Avora's earlier question about Sven and Ten-Penny and decides now is as good at time as any to have "the talk" with the poor druid girl. He dumps the collected contents onto a chair and climbs up into it as well, to be better heard by the room. The procured helmet stays on. "You see Avora," he states, his muffled voice slow and methodical, careful to enunciate, "When two creatures want to MakePurpleUnicornsStampedeThroughTheirBrains, they begin a very interesting ritual." The little gnomes demeanor and stature change subtly and he faces left, doing a poor but passable imitation of Sven, small voice turned as gruff and manly as it can, "You are a prized gem and la-ta-dee and HO Ho HO." he clutches at his belly and chortles ridiculously in the same Sven-voice. Then he faces right, his stature becoming more feminine and Ten-Penny-like, "And ye be strapped with vickles and tickles, humdee-humdee-hay!" he trills in a bad imitation of Ten-Penny, curtsying to the invisible Sven.
Clearing his throat he turns back to Avora, clasping his hands before him as if giving a recitation, "And not long after they'll be wed, MakePurpleUnicornsStampedeThroughTheirBrains, and have beautiful baby piglets." Explanation given, the gnome retrieves his loot, small fingers pushing bits of food under the overly large helm into his mouth and continuing to explore, heading downstairs where they found Argentea, "Look! Stairsoverhere!" he calls out excitedly as he steps down.
Kalt shuts his eyes, almost as if grimacing in pain. Dammit! I've done it again. Misunderstood someone, attacked them, offended them with no cause. If I lived as long as an elf, as one of damn my fey family, would I ever learn how to deal with people?
Opening his eyes again and responding to Ten-Penny he says, "Forgive me. I have been judged by my appearance for my whole life, and it has cost me much. But that does not make it right for me to do the same to you. I stand by my first words to you, that you fought bravely and well, and I ask you to forget the next words I spoke."
Casting a glance at the stairs, which Sven has descended, he continues, a rueful smile on his face, "I usually leave talking to others to the big man down there, and by now I'm sure it's clear why."
After a pause, he says, "If you're willing to speak to me, I'd have to agree with you. These summers snows are as strange a thing as I’ve known. And now to hear you speak of a portal to Irrisen, ice elementals and frost trolls, here in Taldor? It seems impossible, yet you and I fought frost skeletons here just minutes ago.” He goes quiet, pondering what it can all mean.
But his contemplation is abruptly broken by Bugsby’s explanation of marriage. His serious demeanor is fixed on his face as the tale begins, but it soon shifts to wide-eyed enjoyment and by the time Bugsby’s pantomime is finished, the icy Ulfen warrior is wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. ”My friend,” he says to the gnome, still stifling the occasional chuckle, ”from now on, when I fear life has lost all its savor and nothing can bring me joy, I will ask you to impersonate Sven, and I will laugh again for certain. ‘Strapped with vickles and tickles’ he is indeed!”
Alas for poor Bugsby, the chest is locked, and seems far sturdier than his small frame would allow him to break open. During Bugsby’s explanation of marriage, Ten-Penny mirrors Kalt’s amusement. ”Fraid afta seein the Lady, Mista Vickles and Tickles will’a forgotten all about me.” she muses, no sign of disappointment on her face. Then she adds, to Kalt's appology, "No worries sugah, I'm pretty sure ya lost a bit o blood there, and there, and some there. Undastandable yer thoughts aint quite all there."
Lady Argentea finishes removing her bonds and rises to her feet, bruises and lacerations cover her once porcelain skin. Clearly pained, she dons the mask of nobility, her face unreadable, ”Thank you Master Cleric, but I am fine. I will allow you to escort me out of this Irrisen contaminated place once you feel you have regained enough of your strength.”
Finished exploring downstairs he'll return to the others, "Cansomeonehelpmeopenalockedchest? It'sfullofmagicalsparklies!" he exclaims, obviously excited.
Bugsby lifts both hands up to his face, wiggling his fingers mystically, "Yes! Youknow...MagicalSparklies!" and moves over to Sven and grabs his pant leg at about knee height and starts marching purposefully towards where the chest is located, of course making zero headway tugging the solid Ulfen, but looking quite determined.
Lachna perks up at Bugsby's mention of magic sparklies and follows he and Sven toward the chest.
Once he's acquired some assistance he releases Sven and leads the way, pointing out the chest he'd found with the magical aura's inside with a frustrated "Locked. Hurrmmph! Withmagicsparkliesinside!" he says with an accusatory glare at the chest, going so far as to stick his tongue out at it.
Kalt smiles in relief as Ten-Penny responds, saying ”Thank you for your understanding. And you are right, I left a fair bit of blood on the ground here. And speaking of my blood, you make a good point. Perhaps I should go through that portal to Irrisen, and see what I can learn about myself in that fey place.”
Seeing Sven head into another room to help Bugsby open a chest he’s found, Kalt says, ”For now, though, I’ll see if your, er, husband, needs a hand in there.” He follows Bugsby, Lachna and Sven into the room, ready to help break open the chest if there is a need.
Ten-penny notices the attention surrounding the chest, and circles around to catch a view of it, "That be Rokhar's personal lockbox. You be right ta think it dangerous."
Bugsby shrugs, his voice excitedly speaking too quickly, "Iknowthere'smagicthingsinside, butcan'ttellthespecificspells. Couldbeatrap... Isayweopenitandfindout." he grins maniacally then shakes his head briskly. "Ten-Penny, canyouopenthis? IfnotIsaywetakeitwithus!"
”I bet Sven and I can get this thing open, though if it’s trapped, we’ll be in some trouble. Ankih, I travelled with a cleric for a time who had a habit of calling upon his god’s blessing to protect himself from all sorts of little things that popped up, but it actually seemed to work some of the time, and he once helped me with it too. Are you able to do something like that for me and Sven as we work on this chest?”
Kalt raises a hand and says, "Wait a moment." He then returns to the main room and collects two of the bandit's shortswords. Back at Sven's side, he hands one of them to his partner, then wedges the tip of a blade into the crack by the lock on the chest and says, "Ready when you are." He then casts his eyes at Lachna and Bugsby and says, "You might want to back up a bit."
Ankih remains quiet, watching Sven head up out of the cellar.
" Are you ok, Milady? I saved one of my healing spells just incase. Tho if we need more, I must rest and pray in the morning."
He peers at her, trying to judge her reaction to what has happened.
He will help her up out of the cellar, withholding his healing, until she requests it.
The two ulfen's muscles bulge as the work on the chest, until a pop is heard. Something shoots into the air, but it's size and the speed it was moving makes it difficult to tell what it was. Inside the ruined chest you find a gold ingot engraved with the Taldan royal seal, a spyglass, a silver lady's ring, three shards of tiger's eye, a paid of fine leather boots, a silver dagger, and a leather portfolio containing 4 scrolls.
The Lady Argentea begins to slowly walk to the stairs, needing to hold onto the barrels an dcrates for support. Ascending the stairs she is barely able to lift her right leg, the occasional grimace of pain flashing across her stoic visage. She stumbles about half way up and nearly falls over before righting herself. Her face a mask of pain and pride, she mutters, "I'm fine. Taldan women are the strongest on Golarion."
Avora hugs herself and shudders at the memory. "I hope he doesn't return..."
Sven scales the stairs and comes to a room with several tables and chairs. The windows look out over the snowy grounds of the lodge, and in the southwestern corner, a large map hangs on the wall, opposite another door in the northeast wall. Checking the next room, you find a small storeroom filled with small boxes, bottles, and papers. A Small iron cage sits on the top shelf, emanating a flickering light, like that of a candle.