As Bladud finishes with the door, he pauses to look over at the crew chief. ”Wouldn’a mind if he took a look at thaht whole pile we left in the corner there.” He grunts as he opens the door, his voice dropping substantially. ”A few of those items looked particularly expensive, but it’d be nice ta’have a practiced eye go over ’em and catalog 'em for'us.”
He gives a flippant grin and salute, ”Off ta’kill some more stuff and take their things. Wish us luck.”
He moves into the hallway … eyes, ears, and nose straining for threats and traps, longspear in hand.
the highlander works quietly through his door routine, ending with his ear pressed against it.
If no traps or threats are sensed, he'll get the group's attention and nonverbally indicate they should quietly join him at the door.
"If no traps or threats are sensed" by Bladud, Dvalin will join him and move him out of the way. Dvalin will then concentrate quietly invoking Hriedmar to look through the door.
The elf stood normally, as if his robes weren’t rags. He answered the crew chief, ”I do not believe there was an item specifically needing immediate appraisal. However if any spare clothing is available, even long pants,” he sighed, ”I would not be adverse to changing my garments.”
Fala chuckled. "I'll see what I can find for you."
The smell that wafted out when Bladud opened the door was even worse than the rat's nest. It reeked of rotten meat and pungent body oder.
The floor was soggy with wet mud. In the corner a large pile of old, broken bed frames were stacked up. They might have once been intact, but now it looked like about a dozen of them were in a badly destroyed pile with old mattresses and blankets on top of it.
Massive footprints marred the muddy floor. They were perhaps twice as large as a human's.
Whatever had left them, it didn't look like it was here now.
As the wall of stank hits him, Bladud crinkles his nose and grins. ”Cad, least you could do’is clean your room before we get here. Honestly, no manners at all.”
He takes a few seconds to look at the prints.
Then his eyes take in the room beyond, seeking any non-obvious threats.
”Anyone have anythin’ they want’ta do before’I head in? Or do any'a'you recognize the footprints?” he whispers.
The newest tracks are very fresh. Less than an hour old.
The creature that made these tracks was stooped, and look like they moved in a simian fashion. There are knee, hand and knuckle prints about the room as well. This one was probably 800-900 pounds and would be about 8 feet tall if it stood up straight.
Looks like Giant-Kin, obviously. An Ogre or Ettin, probably.
Bladud points at a specific set of prints, "Those look fresh. Less than an hour." He grunts, then points to another spot where the mud has been gouged in a distinctive way. "I can'only see prints for one fella, but he's a big one. Eight or nine hundred pounds, at my guess."
He shrugs, "Anythin' else I should know b'fore I head in?"
"Don't let yourself get caught like with the scorpion." Cadeyrn said with a slight grin. He inspected the prints Bladud pointed at. "Any idea which way the creature went? Better to try to deal with it now so it can't attack us from behind."
"Which door did the tracks use most recently?" Dvalin asks.
Nisfeollyn knelt to examine the tracks closely.
He pointed out the length and width of the print. "An ogre or ettin is the most likely source of the footprints."
Bladud points to the northern door across the room as he whispers to the crew, "Watch that door. I think the big fecker went through there."
Then the crew's trap-springer goes to work. He skulks into the room, using his longspear to press through the mud and muck to check for any submerged threats or pressure plates as he moves.
On the North door, "If no traps or threats are sensed" by Bladud, Dvalin will join him and move him out of the way. Dvalin will then concentrate quietly invoking Hriedmar to look through the door.
Bladud waits in the center of the room, spear at the ready as he waits for Dvalin's report. He briefly looks back at Cadeyrn and Nisfeollyn, nodding to indicate they should feel free to enter the room.
As he turns his head back to Dvalin, he whispers to the team, "What's tha'plan if the big feckr isn't nearby? Wait for'im? Or see if we'can track him down?"
"I'd say try to track him down and get the jump on him. Wouldn't like the other way around." Cadeyrn whispered back while looking at the mess that used to be a room of sorts.
Nisfeollyn walked into the room and stood next to Bladud. He watched Dvalin use his divine magic to peer through the door.
”Would it be possible to create a trap for the creature? Anyone capable of setting up a trip wire?” he replied in a whisper. ”I think we should press on with our normal caution. We do not need to track him down, do we?”
"I'm no trap-maker," Bladud whispers, still watching Dvalin. "And we're paid ta'clear this place for exploration and research. Can't exactly leave tha'big guy to wander. Could be'a threat." He shrugs, idly wiping mud off the end of his longspear. "So we either need ta'clear him out or convince him to let the research teams do their thing without any problems. I'm fine either way, but I'm no'exactly the diplomatic sort."
"Plus," he adds with a smirking whisper, "do we even have someone who'can talk to the big guy?"
Dvalin gets an image past the door of a darkened rough hewn hallway who's floor has partially collapsed. It is full of mud and pools of water. The mud bears the same tracks as the room they were currently in. Just around the corner is another door. The hall continues past the door to the east, but the vision becomes to hazy to make out further details.
Dvalin comes out of his trance and whispers. "Past the door, there is a darkened rough hewn hallway who's floor has partially collapsed. It is full of mud and pools of water. The mud bears the same tracks as the room they were currently in. Just around the corner is another door. The hall continues past the door to the east, but the vision becomes to hazy to make out further details. After you Bladud."
"Ok, I'll guard this door here while you scout ahead. If the creature spots you I'd suggest running back here, instead of us coming to you. Although not the best location, it seems there would be a bit more room for us to fight over here."
Bladud nods towards the western door, "Why dont'ye look through that door before we move'on? Could save'us some pain."
Dvalin shrugs in reply to Bladud and looks through the other door.
Dvalin's second sight reveals to him an intersection just past the door and little else.
Dvalin reveals an intersection just past the door and little else. "After you," he says to Bladud.
Nisfeollyn sniffed dismissively. ”I doubt any ogre could speak Arcadian, or if it could speak in that most illuminating and melodious language it would have thoughts worth communicating.”
Nisfeollyn raised an index finger and idly tapped his cheek. ”If I graciously learned one of those grunting and barbaric tongues perhaps in the future I could negotiate peace. Avoid needless conflicts. Hmmm, would that be an effective use of my time? Even those who live for centuries do not want to see any of our mortal hours wasted.”
The raven rolled his new found die at Nisfeollyn’s feet while waiting for the next room’s door to be opened.
Wuntholor rolled the die repeatedly, reading the number each time.
”Use the first roll as the augend and the second as the addend,” the elf said. ”When you are ready I will teach you negative numbers.”
The raven began to give the summation of his die rolls.
"After you," he says to Bladud.
Bladud grins and heads quietly to the northern door, giving his usual attention.
Bladud quietly opens the door and moves into the muddy hallway, watching for any threats.
At the next door , he checks again.
As Bladud pressed his ear to the door, a wave of weakness passed over him.
He looked around for a source, saw nothing, then finally down at himself. Below the knee his pants and boots were covered with wriggling leeches!
Bladud gives a surprisingly un-manly (and certainly un-highlander-like) shout at the leeches grubbing at his legs. 'GETEMOFF!"
Without thinking, he slips a vial from his bandolier, unstoppering it and splashing acid on the leeches, his own legs, and the surrounding area.
"Bladud, move back to us out of the water! then they most likely won't be able to follow.".
Cadeyrn turned to the others. "We got leeches, got anything against them? My axe won't do much as I think I sooner cut of Bladud' leg then that I hit one of them critters.
That said, Cadeyrn makes room for Bladud to come back to them.
Leeches writhe and burn where the acid splashes them, many dropping off into the water or dying still stuck to Bladud's legs. More took their place.
Bladud was starting to feel woozy.
"Nisfeollyn, how best do we fight leeches?" Dvalin directs Cadeyrn's observation. He points his hammer-less hand, an attempts to hit some leeches with acid.
”I have a weak acid spell that will help,” the elf said moving towards the turn in the corridor, thinking of leeches, trying to remember what he knew about them. He slid past Dvalin to see Bladdud covered in leeches. ”At least I hope it will. This will sting a bit,” he added before executing a quick series of gestures and words. He opened his right hand, and an orb sprung from his palm streaking towards the leeches covering Bladud’s legs.