Grinning widely, Nuktik nods. "You don't have to tell me twice, my friend. The real question because simply how do we wish to hurt him. Burnt flesh is good in the morning...but so is a good shock to get the body sizzling..."
Allowing the lizardfolk to take lead, he attempts to slide into the overgrowth unseen.
”Flenser: In!” commands Aurumvorak, following Nuktik, similarly attempting stealth...
[+1 Dex, -2 Armor]
Uncognisant of Aurumvorak’s complete hash of being quiet, Flenser scoots through the gap between door and jamb...eagerly sniffing and looking around this nee space...
Kuntaxl moves up to the door, checks it and the rope for anything dangerous and then opens the door to peer inside.
Flenser dodges in between the door and jamb, slipping inside fairly easily. Kuntaxl approaches while his allies hide far behind him, and quickly checks the door. The rope must be tied off to something in the pile of rubble inside...with care the mighty Lizardfolk unties the rope to open the door. Immediately thereafter, a "Twang!" sounds out, and a spear flies out from the pile of rubble at Kuntaxl!
Beyond the door, the foyer empties into a clearly abandoned living space. The hearth is choked with branches and debris from above, the furniture is smashed and soiled, and a thick layer of dirt and grime covers every surface. It is obvious that no one has used this room in years. The only other exit leads to a room thoroughly filled with debris from the collapsed roof above.
Tolgy, seeing the spear fly out, rushes up to Kuntaxl, putting a steadying hand on him...though there's no way the little fellow could keep the bigger lizard folk from falling.
”What’s going on? Flens?” ‘Vorak calls out hoarsely...
Flenser moves back to Kuntaxl, licking the reptilian on the face worriedly...
*whine*
Pulling the spear from his chest and dropping it to the ground, Kuntaxl presses a hand to the wound and calls upon Apsu.
Afterwards, he sits on the porch and begins examining the tracks to see where else Hallod may have gone.
"Not here. Someone else can open the next door."
Tolgy looks down at Kuntaxl in concern. Do we have a few minutes? Want me to try and stich you up?
”Let’s see now...” mutters Aurumvorak, content that whatever the commontion at the door was that Flenser has it under control... The scout moves in and looks around for more signs of habitation.
Flenser leaves the doughty paladin and attempts to aid ‘Vorak...
Kuntaxl looks up at Tolgy. "There doesn't appear to be any reason to rush yet."
Tolgy looks about with narrowed eyes, as if confirming the statement, then he nods, finding it to be apparently quite wise. He takes out his kit and begins to work, with cotton, gauze, salves, and oinmtnets.
'That looked painful. Better him than I.' considers Nuktik.
Seeing his companion being tended too, Nuktik slowly works his way through the underbrush and around the exterior of the house. 'Seem's he's not here...must have another place to stash and work...'
"See any hidden doors or undergound cave access inside?" he whispers.
Nuktik looks at the tracks with a more practiced eye, and sees that the trail never actually goes in through the trapped front door. Instead, the trail leads up to the front door, circles the house, and then heads down to a stream. As you follow the path around, it leads you around back and under a boarded over window at the back of the house. The footpath is quite worn here.
Getting up to follow Nuktik, Kuntaxl examines the window for further traps.
Kuntaxl finds, while fiddling about with this window, that the boards are loose, in face only pushed into place. When you take one of the boards off, you see many nail holes, as if this is done quite a bit. It seems this is an alternate entrance.
"Looks like these boards come off and we can get inside here." He attempts to start taking the boards off.
Rubbing his hands together, he whispers "Excellent. Now do it quietly, he may be inside. If we can surprise him...less chance of ourselves being injured."
The window can be opened, but it will take a bit of work.
Aurum's player had said this earlier, re: roll20.
Aurumvorak looks about in the eastern area of the house - the area he can get to without trying to dig through the massive pile of debris. The house is dilapidated and in disrepair, but doesn't really appear to be recently lived-in. The debris completely chokes off the way into the western room.
"Anyone good with tools? I can force this open, if need be, but perhaps a more subtle approach would be better."
Plus, I'd rather not be in front of another spear trap
(From somewhere inside the house)
”I can’t hear you!?! Where are you?“
(Sounds of rummaging and steps getting louder)
Aurumvorak frowns and retraces his steps outside.
Flenser has, with better hearing, more legs and swift steps found Nuktik and Kuntaxl, rising on his hind legs and resting on the windowsill, whining.
His master appears.
Auruvorak looks at his squadmates.
”What are you doing? Trying to get in?” he asks.
Jace says with all seriousness to Kuntaxl, "I have thieves' tools -- a shifty customer drunkenly left his set behind at the bar when I worked there -- but I have only seem them used a couple of times. I'd probably jam the lock or make things worse. Anyone who knows how to use them properly is welcome to them."
‘Vorak smiles.
”That is a couple of times more than me, Jace. Have a go!” he urges the bardtender.
"Hmm...seems I've misplaced my tools." mumbles Nuktik. "I am however trained in disabling such things."
Turning to Jace, he reaches out "Mind if I borrow those a moment?"
”Or Nuktik could do it...” ‘Vorak shrugs.
Nuktik expertly works at the shutters and is able to remove them, much as you guess this Hallod character would - in such a manner that they can be put back as needed to cover it.
The previously shuttered window leads to a room filled with debris from this home's collapsed roof. There's just enough room for two people to stand within.
"Let me take a look first. I'll ensure there's no dangerous concoctions about to blow up in our faces, then step out and allow room for Jace and Aurumvorak. Jace's knowledge with my cousin's eyes could find something I don't."
Stepping inside, the hobgoblin looks around for anything of interest; specifically noting any potential reagents for nefarious aims.
Jace nods and waits for Nuktik to come back out.
Flenser scrabbles at the sill still whining until ‘Vorak places a calming hand on the wolf’s shoulder.
”Calm, brother.” whispers Aurumvorak, and the wolf drops to the ground, sniffing the ground.
Nuktik crawls inside easily and has a look around. A cursory inspection from this spot uncovers a crawlway under the debris between this room and the entryway. Unlike everything else, this crawlway is mostly free from grime and dust. One could crawl through, but there would only be enough room to go single file. It continues on for a bit in the room and turns.
'This could be a bad place to get caught alone.' considers Nuktik as he cautiously begins to squeeze through the opening.
Kuntaxl sees Nuktik disappear into the massive pile of debris, losing sight of the hobgoblin as he crawls on.
Nuktik moves into the crawlway and heads toward the turn in the path. Right at the turn, however, he senses a light point on the floor. Looking a bit closer, he fines a pressure-sensitive floorboard connecting to a beam holding up debris in the crawlway’s ceiling. One more shift forward onto this plate, and that debris is going to fall on his head!
'Glad I held onto Jace's tools' he considers. Tugging them free, he attempts to carefully secure the tunnel
Kuntaxl waits, listening for sounds indicating Nuktik is through to the other side.
Jace looks up at Kuntaxl and says seriously, but quietly in case they're being listened to, "Maybe we should get him out of there ... and just burn this whole place down. Would anyone in the town really miss Hallod?"
‘Vorak shrugs.
”He said to wait until he made it safe. We should wait.” he says emphatically, channeling military protocol.
Attention focused on the hole, Kuntaxl doesn't really consider the ramifications of the suggestion. "We need proof of his guilt. We won't get that if we burn the evidence."
Nuktik tries once to dig at the pressure plate and get under it in the hopes of finding the trigger. Alas, the first time proves almost disastrous, as he lifts the plate and then lets it slip. It falls back down, and Nuktik freezes in place. But...nothing happens. Then, with a better idea of what he had to do, Nuktik tries again, and this time is able to remove the mechanism from under the plate.
The way ahead continues for about 10 feet before opening up into a small chamber that appears to have once been a closet. It looks like there's a hatch build into the floor in there - very old but free of debris and dust.
Attention focused on the hole, Kuntaxl doesn't really consider the ramifications of the suggestion. "We need proof of his guilt. We won't get that if we burn the evidence."
Jace leans against the house and frowns. He looks at Aurumvorak and says, "What, he's never heard of forgery before?" The barkeep sighs, trying to clear his mood and not be the one suggesting and instigating criminal activities for once, but Hallod is NOT on his good list.