While Navia deals with the cultist, Tieszla takes up station at the front door. "I'll keep an eye out while you guys make sure it's safe over there." she says, opening the door a crack to peak outside. Hopefully, no neighbour or passerby has taken note of the commotion the guard created.
Navia can see nobody--passerby, onlooker, or guard--wandering about outside.
Ophelia puts a hand on one of the doors and look to Walter. "This one is quiet? Be ready, something may still lurk in the dark!" ...//... Two, one and she opens the door, hopefully ready for what awaits beyond!
Behind the quiet door is a closet filled with clothes. Following the theme of the rest of the house, these clothes are in excellent, practically unworn condition.
Sounds perfect.
Let's get her in there quietly and move onto the rest of the house.
The sound behind the other door remains a strange, cavernous echoing of sounds distorted by their long travels.
Ophelia watches Navia dispose of the guard with interest and then follows her to the other door. "Let us see what is behind the second door - shalt we ?" She counted down from three again and opened the door.
In front of the door is what used to be a bedroom, but is now a cluttered room with a huge hole in the middle. Picks and wheelbarrows sit strewn across the floor, some full, some empty. The large hole slowly leads downward right through the wall, a long path delving down into the earth below. Remnants of sounds continue echoing up from the makeshift cavern.
Ophelia walks up to the edge and carefully peers over. After a quick look she steps back, all to aware of her own weight and the terrible ruckus she would cause if she were to fall. "Curious. Considering the pristine condition of the house - do you thing this was simply a front for this ... mine? The menial task of digging seems to correspond well to the shape of our victims. And enchanted workforce seldom complains."
"That's very plausible given our evidence so far," Tieszla says, joining the others at the open doorway. "I wonder what are they digging for and for whom are they digging? And what is the likelihood we will find those taskmasters ahead of us? There is a danger we will find ourselves facing a whole mine full of enchanted slaves who believe we are the enemy instead of the true villain or villains."
"Hey -. If they're charmed and tired, that robe might be a ticket in. Or at least enough for someone to scout - not you Ophelia, you look..." Laznist catches himself "Uh... uh... unique."
Real smooth Laznist
It's an interesting plan Laznist, but I think the only member of our group that really "blends in", as they say, would be Tieszla. I'm quite good at disguising myself, but even so, I doubt that I could convincingly pass myself as a young woman. At least, not for very long.
Walther mutters something under his breath, and his clothing suddenly appears quite similar to that of the cultist.
If there are a lot of cultists - willing or otherwise - down this tunnel, it can't hurt for us to try to blend in. And we may find ourselves needing to knock out a few more, which would provide us with more disguises as we go.
"Perhaps they are merely digging for diggings sake. Polo always said that it was dangerous work - must be doubly so if they are distracted by magic and depletion of their energy reserves." She continued with an ominous tone. "Accidents would certainly be abundant. And should the mine collapse I don't think their masters care."
She listens to Laznists plan and Walters & Tieszlas concern intently before adding more of her own thoughts. "Walter is right. Neither Walter nor Laznist is a woman. Tiezla, Navia and I are." I think. The pattern fits. "I am easy to visually identify on close range. Navia are patterned." She pauses and looks at the younger inquisitor again. "I vote that we look trough the clothes in the closet and try to blend in. I doubt the workers have enough clarity to challenge our authority and if we all wear our cowls deep the shadows should hide our features."
Shang shrugs. "Agreed, it shouldn't be too much trouble..." He starts growing again before your eyes, back to his original height. "Let's grab robes, cover ourselves, and head on down."
"Yeah - if they've got robes in the closet I'm happy to dress up. Otherwise, well, let's go on down. I'm betting there are plenty of robes down there."
The closet is full of all very normal looking clothes, no ominous robes that would ruin the front.
"I guess we'll have to go on without the disguises. Sneakiest people leading the way?"
"Sure. Sounds good."
"It is decided then!" Ophelia looked to the newcomers, trying to judge which one constituted as 'sneaky'. Dara and Ana was sorely missed ... "But wait one more moment ..."
Just in case, Ophelia pulls the cultists robes over her own. It might buy them some seconds of valuable confusion. And despite her unique appearance, or perhaps thanks to, she had some practice in appearing inconspicuous. To compliment the robe she pulls out a small lockbox containing a set of different powder. Carefully she applies some to her face, choosing the powder that closest match skin tone of the cultist. She finishes with some darker tones underneath her eyes to emulate exhaustion and closes the box. She also borrows the cultists dagger and pulls up the hood, leaving her visage shrouded in shadows. "Done. Shall I go second then?"
Navia goes out a short distance ahead, sneaking down the stone tunnel dug right through the floor. It trails on for considerably longer than one would expect a group of malnourished, unskilled laborers to be able to handle. After thirty feet of a gradual slope it levels out and spreads into two directions.
Laznist follows carefully, allowing Navia to lead the way and scout ahead, but trying to stay ready to respond.
Shang keeps pace with Laznist, ready to fire on anything that might approach.
You hear nothing but the continued echoing din, though it becomes a little clearer; it's the sounds of picks striking stone in the distance. It comes from the left path.
Laznist nods and starts coming froward, ready to go down the left-hand tunnel and (presumably) attack
Tieszla enters the tunnel last, trailing the others. She picks her way along as carefully and quietly as possible, ready to surge into action at the slightest provocation but trying to preserve the group's stealth until brute force is called upon.
Shang loads his crossbow and joins Laznist.
Walther stays to the centre of the group, with his crossbow at the ready.
Ophelia nods at Navia, showing that she understands. She gives the ranger a few moments to slip ahead before she follows. The cultists dagger is firmly in her grasp - hopefully the disguise would be enough to let her avoid using it.
A short distance ahead, the path opens up into a wider area where several figures in cloaks strike the wall with their picks. The distinctive style of heavy pick with a skull and bone handle mark them as the weapons favoured by Zyphan worshippers; you've definitely stumbled upon something here.
Laznist gestures for Tieszla and Navia to follow him and takes the lead, prepared for the miners to rush him, spell in hand.
Tieszla creeps closer to Laznist and stands with her sword at the ready, waiting for the mage to unleash his spell.
Tiezsla's footsteps are not as soft as they should be inside a cave, and even Navia isn't perfect in her execution. The cloaked figure overseeing the dig turns toward the tunnel you came down from, and immediately grabs his pick from off the ground. "Intruders," he says in a plain tone, as if not wanting to bellow lest his voice echo and attract the attention of something else.
Not intruders at all brother. Were we not faithful followers of Zyphus, would we have been allowed to find the house, let alone come down here?
Ophelia slowly moves towards the overseer, her head held low and the cowl pulled tight. Perhaps Walters gambit could work - perhaps she could get an advantageous strike strike in otherwise.
The overseer relaxes a little at Walther's word, even if most of you are not dressed for the occasion. "Nobody told me that new recruits were in. I'm glad you didn't end up like the last person they brought in, though. Take your picks and start digging; you've got a long day ahead of you."
The overseer is not as emaciated as the others are. He's actually fairly well fed.
The overseer is not only not as emaciated as the others are, he's rather well fed, noticeable even through his bulky robes.
Tieszla sheathes her great sword, relieved that its presence in her hands was not enough to foil Walther's ruse, and replaces it with one of the picks from the floor nearby. Holding the pick makes her feel unclean and so does what she is about to say but this gambit seems to be working. The inquisitor hunches her shoulders forward and bows her head slightly to adopt a more subservient posture.
"Is there anything specific we are looking for while we dig, Father?" she asks in the hushed, slightly awed voice of a supplicant speaking to her priest.
Laznist, confused, joins Tieszla; he props his spear up against a wall and picks a pick.
They're doing nothing but hammering away at the wall, occasionally turning to pay attention to what's going on behind them. Whether they're actually enthralled or just tired and focused on their work is hard to ascertain at the moment.
"You'll know what you find if you find it. That's all you're getting." he says, already losing attention as one of his arms disappears beneath the sleeve of his robe and his head dips down, the last few words coming through muffled, as though he's shoving some food into his mouth in secret.
"Wait, Father..." Tieszla scurries after the retreating overseer, lowering her voice conspiratorially, "What happened to the last recruit?"
Hopefully the man is a gossip.