"I think the more prudent choice would be to follow where we think the halfling is going. As much as I would like to explore the area more, we need to meet with our benefactor."
A slight buzz precedes Lady Lotheed's voice telepathically filling your heads. ++"Not all military are with Stavian. Assassins seem to be a collection of foreign agents. City guard is in chaos. Lion Blades and Eutropia’s allies fighting back in the senate.”++
"Agreed, Lets head north and and hopefully we can catch the halfling."
Once satisfied with her appearance. Mal exits the rooms and moves down the hallway.
Pausing for a moment she closes her eyes and activates her link with AUTO, calling the construct familiar to return to her. Whirring, clicking and clunking the mechanical birds flies back to land on Mal’s shoulder.
”So. The door in the collapsed hall or the one around the corner?”
Evelyn begins to scour the hallway, looking for any signs of the halfing's passage.
Her Shadow moves beyond the others, heading to the western hallway. It halts just at the corner and begins to look around.
Evelyn's Shadow finds nothing of note in it's examinations. Evelyn, on the other hand, notices the barest hint of a scuff mark freshly left behind in the dust heading to the norther door near the rubble.
Peering over Eve’s shoulder while she searches the hallway.
Not seeing much. Mal leans forward and whispers.
”Do you see anything?”
"He went north."
She turns to head into the northern passage, but pauses, looking back to her shadow.
"Sister, do be so kind as to remain here and watch for any surprises." The shadow nods once.
Evelyn walks slowly to the door in the northern tunnel and gives it a quick once over.
Seeing nothing amiss with the door, Evelyn gingerly opens it. A graying wooden reception counter extends from the eastern wall, overshadowed by a faded, curling portrait of a group of several Taldan nobles. Comical alterations adorn the portrait, with red and green markings adding in stink lines, ridiculous mustaches, and other odd embellishments. A door exits to the west, while other doors exit to the northeast and southeast.
Slumped in a corner is an unmoving kobold. Some blood drips from the back of his head and he is breathing shallowly.
After a few moments, the kobold's eyes flutter open.
Once again peeking around Eve Mal looks the room over. Smirking at the graffiti marked portraits.
Not just looking but listening as well.
On seeing the Kobold, she slips past Eve and steps into the room.
Camila, not speaking draconic, stands there just watching the interaction between Mal and the kobold. Her attention perks up when the kobold opens his crate to reveal his wares.
Glancing to the others she sees they obviously don’t have any idea what’s being said.
Looking back to the others. ”He says someone attacked him. His name is Mimips. Trying to find out if he speaks anything else. He has some goods to trade.”
Mimips asks briefly if anyone understands Gnomish, which no one does, then asks about Undercommon, which only Evelyn knows.
"Who would knock me out without robbing me? That just seems odd. Even if they were in a hurry, my spear is of expert craftsmanship! That is not for sale, by the way. I might need it when I finish...uh, exploring this place? Yeah, on my way home."
"He's not missing anything?" Evelyn reached out to her shadow, summoning it to block the door they just entered through.
"The halfing must have come this way. If this kobold is not injured, then we just be moving on quickly."
Evelyn begins looking around the room, hoping to find some indication on which way the halfling went from here.
Evelyn can easily see where the kobold has tracked back and forth through this room, but she also spots where Mimip's attacker struck. Small boot prints matching those of the halfling lead away from the site of the assault toward the northern door.
Seeing that Eve seems to have picked up the Halfling’s trail she looks to the Kobold.
”We have to get moving. Going that way.” Pointing to the door. ”We might be interested in trading later.” (In Draconic of course)
The kobold shrugs. "Sure, you have business to attend to, I get it! I do enjoy peaceful commerce, but after getting slugged, I can't promise I will be here much longer. It seems to have recently become less safe here."
Evelyn heads north to the door and begins checking it over, looking for signs of traps.
"Quickly now. Time is of the essence."
Mimips shrugs as he carefully packs his gear.
Evelyn finds no sign of danger and opens the door. A leering statue stands atop a plinth in the northwestern corner of this L-shaped hallway. The statue holds a scepter which it points toward the door to the east. The south end of the hall is a heap of collapsed dirt and wood.
Camila steps past Eve and into the hall, checking for any danger. She eyes the statue for a moment before turning her attention to the door. "Hope that little halfling has gotten to far." she says waiting for the rest group to catch up before proceeding.
Camila instantly sees the door the kobold mentioned is partly open.
Looking over Cam's shoulder, she sees the suddenly appearing spots.
"Well that's new and different. As well as gross and disturbing."
"Umm. .yeah. I'm glad im not the only one seeing this or I might think I'm going crazy." She then turns to Mal, "You any clue on what that is?
Ignoring the statue, Evelyn continues east towards the door that the statue points to.
Her Shadow moves up, taking up position at the door they just passed through.
Evelyn ignores the strange manifestations to examine the partially opened door. It looks like someone left a small stone in the door's jamb to keep it from closing tightly. The lock, which bears the recent scratches of having been freshly picked, does look rather complex.
Mal and Cam find themselves mildly fascinated by the bloody circles, rather than the door. As they look at them, they turn a deep arterial color and drip down the walls. A wave of cold nausea passes through them both before the circles disappear without a trace.
Camila feels the unnatural cold chill her down to the bones but is barely able to hold herself together.
The wave of negative energy sweeps over Mal. Being an affront to her celestial infused system causing her to sneer in disgust.
At 2nd level, the swashbuckler gains a knack for getting out of trouble. Three times per day as an immediate action before attempting a saving throw, she can add her Charisma modifier to the result of the save. She must choose to do this before the roll is made. At 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the number of times she can do this per day increases by one (to a maximum of 7 times per day at 18th level).
"What was that?" Camila questions out loud. Still a little confused on what just happened, Camila steps closer to the door.
As Camila moves closer, she and Eve hear the muffled sounds of conversation in the room beyond.
Camilla hears faint sounds of a converstion but is unable to make out what is actually being said.
At hearing the muted conversation, Evelyn signals Camila to halt as she tries to listen in.
In response to Cam’s question.
”Not sure about the light show. But there was a definite Negative energy effect.”
Noticing Eve and Cam move on then suddenly stop near the open door and appear to be listening to something.. Mal creeps forward and tries to hear what is going on.
But can only tell there are voices, not what is being said.
The voice's volume increases.
Evelyn whispers to the others "two voices, arguing. One calls itself King Dagio. Claims to be a diviner and an arch-duke. Doesn't sound happy with the other one."
Mal gives another try at hearing what is being said.
Then tries to recall if she has ever heard either name before.
She also draws her rapier, just in case things get exciting.
Hearing their volume increase, Camila tries to listen a litter closer.
Hearing what sounds like an incantation, Camila attempts to recognize the spell being cast.
Camila quickly relays this informataion to the rest of the party. "Should we just rush in? she thinks to herself as she grips her weapon a little more tightly.
"I say we wait a few minutes. Rushing into a room with invisible foes seems folly. I am also low on spell power, so patience would seem prudent."
Mal checks her supply of bombs.
”I got most of my bombs and a few extracts. But I suppose caution may be prudent. Though I dislike inaction.”
Pausing to ponder the problem for a moment.
”Maybe we can coax them out of the room. I could have AUTO fly by the door.”
The trio and their companions wait for a moment. Mal can hear faint sounds that sound like squeaks and scratches. Everyone can hear a shrill voice shout out, "We can hear you, peasant! You will never escape!"
"Well this is a most interesting development."
She removes a bomb from her belt pouch.
"Bombs don't have to see the target to work. But I'm not sure I want to blow up everyone in there. At least not yet."
Pondering the problem for a moment
"We do have to get moving though. So I'll take a peek in there before throwing."
Mal moves to the door, bomb in hand and peeks inside the room.
Malora peeks around the corner. A wide but short hallway leads to a much larger room that she can't see all of from this distance in the dark. Blocking the short hallway from the larger chamber is a mass of dozens, perhaps hundreds of rats.
Malora sees another swarm of rats emerge from a corner she couldn't previously see. The mass moves to the center of the room, where it leaps, bites, and claws at an unseen target.
The squeaky voice taunts, "I told you! You will never escape! My royal guard will consume every trace of flesh on your body!"
"What do you see? Is it the halfling?"
Mal turns to Eve. Her face has a mixed expression of disgust and ew.
”Not sure. But someone just became rat chow.”