Sentis follows right behind Darkbiter as quietly as he can.
Perception:
Blaze and Darkbiter easily join Grusk within the cloakroom (see spoiler above) - but Sentis crunches his shin into the same timber that Grusk grazed earlier. This time the pipe smoking servant's attention is aroused and he turns to face the half-elf with a quizzical look on his face.
Outside, Doc waited for the stealthy folks to wave him in. He spent the time rearranging a few bandoleers to make sure his non-lethal options were closer at hand.
Seeing the gentleman spot Sentis, Blaze uses the opportunity to apply the Chloropatch to him from behind.
Will Save:
The man barely struggles as the soporific effects of the vapors overpower him immediately. He slumps in Blaze's arms.
The Keleshite smiles "Doc, you're a genius. You can have Grusk's pay for the next month"
Sentis winced when his shin hit the timber and shrugged appreciatively when Blaze took the wary guard out.
How long does that stuff last?
The half elf will help drag the unconcious orc inside.
"Whas Doc gonna do wit them 12 peices o silver I wunder."
Doc comes shuffling up. "Should last plenty long. He'll sleep fer at least an hour. Might want t' find a closet or somethin' t' stash 'im though."
Clapping Grusk on the shoulder, Doc says "Don' worry, lad. Ah'll do th' same thing wit' it tha' you would. Give it t' yer momma."
Peeling the sticky poisoned patch off the man, the self-amused dwarf stuffed the evidence into a pouch. "Best not t' leave these b'hind. Ain't many folks round 'ere who could make 'em an' we don' want no one comin' round askin' questions 'cause we got sloppy."
Dark just remains quiet and watchful.
The group takes tack of the situation and is immediately thankful that Sentis decided to drag the unconscious worker inside the small cloakroom that you are all crowded within. The entry to the house proper lies behind a closed door that beyond which you cannot hear any signs of life or inhabitance.
The door leading from the cloakroom to the street is also presently open.
Grusk moves the sleeping man to the very back of the cloak room throwing a cloak over him for good measure, then takes the point onward into the remainder of the house....
The first room beyond the cloakroom is a darkened kitchen. There are pots and pans and an open fireplace, but no people present. To one side is a set of louvered doors that lead into the compound grounds - and on the other another closed door that you think leads deeper into the compound.
Keep Doc out o tha pots an pans, at times he can not help hisself."
headed towards that other closed door....
Stealth
Perception
+2 monsterous humanoids
The portal opens from under a staircase and into a grand entrance hall with high roofs and a staircase leading to a second floor. The main entrance to the house lies to your left, and double doors leading to what is likely a sitting room of some kind on your right. There is also a balcony above you on the second level.
Judging by the recent wear in the rugs under your feet, the second floor seems to be where most of the foot traffic from the kitchen travels to. You can also notice outside the front doors a couple of men standing guard... though you cannot get eyes on them without risking your own discovery.
Before going any further Blaze says "Doc, mind shutting the door. Less evidence that way"
Doc nods and shuts the door quietly.
With the servant's entrance closed behind you and the sleeping man constrained - thoughts turn onwards into the house itself.
At present there are three exits from the entrance hall:
- Closed double doors to the right - leading towards what is likely a sitting room.
- An open front door with a pair of guards outside - though you have yet to lay eyes upon them.
- Stairs leading to the upper floor - but to reach them might risk discovery from without.
Grusk points to team green and the stairs, leaving the bottom floor and door to the rest of the wolves.
Stealth
Doc
Perception
+2 monsterous humanoids
Sentis had no idea what they would find in the house but he hoped fervently that Holmburg was one thing. He slipped on the Tolokoshe Mask figuring that it might be useful if they got caught and crept quietly behind Grusk.
Blaze readies Sunstrike, and slowly opens the double doors on the right, peering inside if able
As Grusk begins to make a less than elegant passage across the room towards the doors, Sentis shadows his progress and Blaze moves to open the parlour doors. As this unfolds the voices just outside the entrance stop and after a second the guards move into view. A Mwangi and a Rahadoumi draped in steel and wielding spear and shield.
They are garbed in the dress uniform of your own mercenary company, and though you don't know the guards well - you have crossed paths with them occasionally at barracks. They are no novices in the art of the fight, and they are clearly alert. Spotting you they initially yell "Halt!" before a glimmer of recognition crosses their faces and they continue "... the hell... What in the nines are you doing here?" as they recognize you as kindred mercenaries.
Intimidate
"Lookin to get paid! Got a tip our former employer might be here, we don't want anything but to go up and look for him!"
Showing no signs of intimidation, the Mwangi replies as they hold their guarded stance "See that might be a problem boy... our current employer left us pretty clear instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed."
"Something has come up since then that has changed the situation slightly, and we need to get his side of the matter sooner rather than later." Dark speaks quietly, but also holds firm about his position.
"All this dancing around is starting to annoy me. We are looking for an old man who we believe was kidnapped and possibly brought here. I'd much rather just be able to figure that out, no trouble. Do not give us any as we are, after all, brothers in arms"
"Don' suppose ye c'n tell us if'n the fella we're lookin' for is in there or not? We ain't lookin' t' git in th' way o' yer job. We're just lookin' fer the guy tha' hired us t' do ours. If'n yer boss kidnapped ours, that's a pretty big problem, ye know?"
The half elf knew this could ugly fast and earnestly wished it wouldnt happen.
It is as my brothers say; we have no quarrel with any of our fellow Blood Hawks nor do we wish to have any quarrel with you. Please help us and we will be gone before you know it.
The Mwangi licks his lips nervously and exchanges a glance or two with the Rahadoumi, but they remain guarded "See now that's the problem... man upstairs has a contract with the higher-ups and he made it clear he wasn't to be disturbed. I can't step aside without breaking that oath... and I don't plan to."
"But... I can say that somebody came in with a passenger in tow... but not via the front door" his eyes glancing up to a set of windows up on the second floor. "I'm not saying that's your man... but it could be."
A tense silence holds for a few moments before the Rahadoumi speaks in a deep and accented voice "Are you here on a contract?"
"Ain't this just a hot mess! Somebody got some wires crossed somewhere, guessin we err eight up higher up."
"Sort of yea. We were supposed to accompany the gentleman we're looking for, but when we returned to meet up with him at the scheduled time, he was missing."
"He didn't go 'cause 'e wanted to, that much was damn clear. The trail led us 'ere. Looks like th' reason yer boss don't wanna be disturbed is 'cause 'e kidnapped our boss an' brough 'im 'ere. I'm sure they're jus' talkin' like gentlefolk. Yer boss was prob'ly jus' lonely." Doc said sarcastically.
Shrugging at Doc's implications "I'm not paid to care for what he's doing up there... just to follow his orders. And it sounds like you're not on paper with the one you're after... so we've got a problem."
The Mwangi holds his ground, while the Rahadoumi begins to back up a little towards the door leading outside.
"Our contract was to meet 'im. We still ain't done that."
Blaze adopts an obvious fighting stance, Sunstrike at the ready. "Well, we might as well get to part where we have to kill you then. Didn't want it to come to that, but I see no other choice" Flames almost seem to dance along the edge of his scimitar, and he smiles at the guards. "Unless you can help us out of course"
Doc sighs. "I was really hopin' not t' have t' do tha'."
Looking at the Blood Hawk he said "What, exactly, does yer contract say? Maybe we c'n work around it an' all git what we want?"
Before things could get out of hand and they had to put down their fellow Blood Hawks; Sentis activated the powers of the Tolokoshe mask in an attempt to hypnotize the Rahadoumi.
"Doc's got a point. Depending on the specific wording of the contract and your orders, there may be a loophole that will spare all of us a great deal of headache." Dark stsys in a defensive position as he remains wary of the situation.
Will Save:
The Rahadoumi stops his movement backwards and his eyes become slightly glassy as his body relaxes. The Mwangi does not notice the fact his companion has been affected, and does not take to Blaze's aggression kindly. Spitting to one side he responds "Feh, you are no true follower of Sarenrae to speak so. You are lucky your friends have kinder tongues." glaring at the overly aggressive Keleshite before responding to Doc and Darkbiter cautiously "We are charged to defend the house, and not disturb him... we can't let you past and you'll need to leave... but maybe we won't be watching the treeward side of the house for an hour or so... I've warned Vankerman that the trees are awful close to the windows of the guest room up there..." holding gaze to see if you understand.
Sentis watched fascinated as the spell took hold of the man and his eyebrows rose behind the mask at the Mwangi's offer.
That sounds more than reasonable..
he looks the enspelled man in the eye and asks... and you'll let us go with no problems right?
Dark nods and looks to Blaze before turning and exiting.
Doc nods and follows Dark back out.
Blaze glowers at the man, "How dare you speak so about my goddess? and my worship of her?" He cools down almost instantly. "I am glad you took my advice, we will take yours" Then turns and leaves.
Shakes his head at it all and goes with the others to sneak in.
Backtracking out the service entrance you follow the suggestions of the mercenaries and manage to find a breachable part of the wall and a sturdy tree that leads to an upper window. Making your way across the foilage you end up in a dusty storage room with a single exit via a close door. Most of the items around you are dust covered furniture and general tableware.
Knowing he's the most likely to make noise and get them noticed, Doc waits in the tree looking none too happy about the fact that he's in a tree.
Damn unstable things. Why d' they 'ave t' be so far up off'a th' ground?
Sentis crowded into the room with the others and waited for the order to move out.