Xing looks up at the beam, paces back and forth guaging the height, then stops. She backs up, setting her paws on the dusty floor and coiling her legs [ooc](and also doing that butt-wagging thing some cats do before pouncing). Then she explodes forward, launching herself up the nearest wall to try to give herself a few extra inches.
Sabelina gets out of Xing's way. She's decided it's time to move on anyway. She follows the beam upon which the the offensive materials were found farther along, keeping an eye on it and looking for any spots that would allow for hiding or switching off it for a nook or cranny.
She follows the beam upon which the the offensive materials were found farther along, keeping an eye on it and looking for any spots that would allow for hiding or switching off it for a nook or cranny.
Sabelina follows the beam. It runs the length of the building and is at least 6-7' from the next nearest beam. However, where it and the other beams cross over the internal wall, an agile person could walk along the top of the wall to move from beam to beam. This particular beam does go beneath one of the most buckled portions of the roof, which could have been the hag's entry point. The beam also runs along the slope of the roof, so it isn't a roomy. Someone standing on the beam would need to stoop if they were over 5' tall. Thankfully, the joints between the rickety roof and solid walls are free from obstructions. You don't see any obvious hidey-holes or dark grannies that would hold an animal larger than a cat.
Xing misses by only a few inches. Schooling a growl of frustration to silence, she re-preps, refocuses, and tries again.
Step-step-launch-wallpush-reach-GOT IT!
Her claws bite into the old wood, and she hangs in the air for a second, making sure it will hold. Then, she begins to try to climb up onto the beam itself.
Xing swings her legs a few times, gaining a bit of momentum. Then, on the back-swing, pumps her legs up, using the gained momentum to heave her torso up above the beam, where she muscles herself up. She centers herself as quickly as possible, trying to search the room from her new vantage point.
Xing checks the beam and hoists herself onto it as if that first miss never happened. She's practically doubled over to avoid smacking into the roof. Looking at the 'rag-pile' and the beam from above is possibly worse than looking at the scant remnants that rained down. It is a disgusting mass of soiled rags still coated with... oily goop. Some of it has even dried into a crusty resin. The lack of dust, or how thoroughly the dust is mixed into the goop that stains this whole section of beam, leads Xing to conclude that the hag spent some time here, possibly laying on the beam. As you walk your eyes down the length of the beam, there are areas of dust that are disturbed by foot prints traveling back and forth a bit. They seem to terminate below a dilapidated section of the roof that Sabelina is currently mulling over.
You don't see any notable disturbances in the dust on the other nearby beams.
Xing scrunches her nose, trying to fight down nausea. She looks down at the team and shakes her head ‘no’. Not willing to completely call the climb fruitless, she crawls forward a bit and more closely inspects the disgusting heap of refuse.
After her investigation, she checks the places where the beams adjoin the walls, seeing if there are any covert pathways into other rooms from up in the rafters.
She shrugs down at the group, whispering quietly. ”Do we check the other room?”
Sabelina turns back around and returns.
"The beam runs under a piece of the roof that looks damaged, maybe with enough of an opening to slip in and out through. That's all I see in here."
The prints are the size of a small human woman's. You can't really tell the 'freshness' of the material. The resinous dried bits are likely older but its hard to say with the oily bits how long they have been here. Oils tend to dry slowly. You don't see any obvious way to another building from here. And you can see the top of the beams throughout this building - both room spaces - nothing to note.
Xing gives the beam and room one last look, then moves to the end of the beam to begin the climb back down.
Xing clips a random box on the way down, sending her crashing to the floor. With a reluctant glance at her teammates, she picks herself up with a grimace. "So much for a graceful exit."
She reclaims her staff and looks at Mama Cookie sheepishly, "I may need to make use of that wand before we move on."
She looks at the larger team, "So what's the plan now? Check in with the other Watch to say this building is clear?" She looks over at Bob, "Is there a protocol we need to follow here?"
Bob hrumphs, "To be thorough, we should check these crates and then move on to our next building."
Still cautious, you break into the crates and inspect them. No hag. With your search complete, Bob wipes the grime off one window, hammers on the glass lightly, then makes a short series of hand signals - presumably for the spotters outside.
You exit the building as you entered it.
In the street, Bob checks his list. "OK. Next we got a residence... single family, two floors, two chimneys, small basement." He walks with you across the street to an older home, well maintained, with a gated little yard in front. It is situated between two larger apartment buildings. He speaks briefly with a sharp-featured watchman lingering nearby and reports back to you.
"The residents haven't been cleared yet. They're an older couple. Their families have been in Threshold almost from the beginning. We still gotta roust them but we want to be real polite about it. I'll handle that part."
Bob again gets the attention of the nearest overwatch before approaching the building. The lingering watchmen follows your group quietly and waits outside the gate.
Sabelina goes along with Bob to talk with the residents. She reasons that she's attractive and good with people so she will be a positive, reassuring presence if needed.
A couple in their 60’s answers Sabelina’s knock and look at the watchman, the swordswoman, as well as the entire group curiously.
”Mrs. and Mr. Pickett? Sorry to disturb, but we’re here to conduct a search of your home. We’re looking for a dangerous and stealthy fugitive who may be hiding in or around your property. Have you heard or seen anything odd in the last day or so?”
The husband considers the question while his wife blinks at the revelation and says, "Well, that hardly seems likely. It's just us here and I haven't seen or heard anything. Have you, Herve?"
Herve shakes his head, "Not a thing... and our house isn't exactly large. If there was another person here, I'd think we'd know it - stealthy or no. I know you've got a job to do... but I really think you're barking up the wrong tree here."
Xing is more than happy when Sabelina and Bob take point with the older couple. As she watches the conversation begin, she takes a moment to consider their Watch-friend Bob.
Then Xing considers the pair, watching them to see if she can determine what might motivate them to cooperate.
Finally, as the conversation with the couple looks to be concluding, Xing takes a moment to watch the roofline and chimneys, then tries to take a circuit of the place to look for tracks or signs of movement that might indicate the hag has been here or near any basement entrance the house might have.
Sabelina leans in toward the couple and speaks in a low, soft voice, as if she's passing on an important secret. Basic flattery to make them feel as if they're important enough to know what's happening behind the scenes.
"And that is exactly why we're here, your small house. What we're looking for isn't exactly... human. It's something quite able to fit into small and innocuous places. It's also very clever. You have chimneys correct? Well, it would be just its thinking to choose a place we'd tend to overlook to wedge itself into a nook or cranny and wait until we've moved on past."
She winks at them.
"There's nothing for you to worry about if you vacate while we have a good look around. It'll bring you peace of mind to know your home is safe."
Xing notices nothing untoward about Bob. Regarding the older couple, she realises that it isn't that they are refusing to comply or cooperate. It's more like they feel that searching their home would be a waste of the watchman's time.
Xing sees no obvious signs of the hag or any signs of a basement entrance in front of the house. The back of the house is a bit of a mystery because it isn't accessible from here. The sides of the house are no more than 6 inches away from the walls of the two adjacent apartment buildings.
Herve and Racine consider Sabelina's argument and confer. Bob adds to Sabelina's argument, "This creature has caused some deaths. We're being very thorough and checking every possible location with a chimney. My commander is going to make it hard on me if I skip your lovely home."
After a brief debate, the couple nods, leaves the door open, and moves out to the street where the other watchman escorts them away.
Bob breathes a sigh of relief and nods to Sabelina. "Thanks. Best not to order folks out, if we don't have to."
Your team proceeds into the house. Unlike the storehouse before, this building is well-furnished, dust-free, and you detect no stink of decay. From the foyer, you can see into a couple rooms. They aren't cluttered with boxes or too much furniture but the rooms are isolated, there are closets, and there are some dark corners and draperies where a small and malleable hag could possibly hide.
Bob says, "So, shall we start here or do it top-down or bottom-up?"
With a shrug, Yash stood his ground.
"Yash last."
His speech concluded, the half-orc rested his greataxe on his shoulder as he scanned the nearby rooftops.
Sabelina tips her head slightly and says "don't mention it" to Bob, but she's looking at the building rather than him.
"I'm inclined to choose bottom-up. It ought to keep anything inside from slipping away so easily. But, with this hag I'm not sure it makes that much of a difference."
Your party moves through the ground floor level of the home looking for the entrance to the basement. You find it not in the backyard but behind a set of double-doors near the back of the building, off a small parlour.
You head down the steps...
... After descending approximately 20', you find yourselves in a cool wine-cellar lit with everburning torches.
Sabelina wastes no times replacing Yash up front, prepared to go down the stairs with Bob.
You stand in a wine-cellar with a number of large and small casks as well as some bottles of wine sitting in or on crates. You see and smell no sign of the hag.
As the group walks down into the cellar, Xing holds the door ... not wanting to let the group get easily trapped in this room that likely has few or no exits.
"I'm not sure how the creature's ability to climb would serve it well in this small room, but keep your eyes open for high angles as you search."
Xing scans the room from the stairs. The ceiling is groin-vaulted and probably 15' from the floor at its highest point. It's a pretty ornate ceiling for a wine-cellar.
Thankfully, the bright torches provide ample light from all directions. There are no dark recesses in the vaulting where the hag - unless invisible - could be hiding. The ceiling appears free from threats.
Senna slides over to the corner of the room and knocks an arrow, looking for something to shoot at. She mutters quietly, "Come'on, show us where you're hiding."
Sabelina works through the room, checking the smaller places where it doesn't look like even a small person could hide. If she needs to, she pokes around in them with the tip of her rapier.
Sabelina and Bob search the room. top to bottom, poking many, many spots with their weapons. They both feel confident the hag isn't here... unless she is hiding inside one of the larger barrels which all look well-sealed and show no obvious signs of tampering. Turning each spigot a little, they all seem filled with wine as well.
As the team reassesses the situation, Bob looks around the room, noting the wide stairs where Xing and Yash are standing guard.
He observes, "That's an awful wide stairway for a cellar. Back in the early days of Threshold, well-heeled families liked to bury their dead in crypts below their homes. Some still do, I think."
Sabelina halts her peeking and prodding to look over in Bob's direction.
"Are you saying you think there might be another, hidden, area down here? Maybe bricked up or behind a secret door?"
Bob shrugs, "I'm saying these folks have been in Threshold a long time. A vaulted ceiling in a wine cellar is curious. A wide stairway along with double-doors down to a small wine cellar is just odd. Yeah, they might have a family crypt behind one of these walls. If they still use it, there might be a secret door or something. I imagine keeping your wine right next to your mum's corpse might scare the neighbors when you bring'em over for a drink."
Sabelina shrugs and switches over to checking along the walls.
Sabelina quickly determines that the wall between the sconces on the north wall can move. She also finds that one of the staves on the big wine cask adjacent to that wall is on a hinge. She pushes the stave away from the barrel. There is a loud CLICK and the wall rumbles then slides out of the way...
... revealing an elaborate crypt.
The air is chilly but relatively fresh under the vaulted ceiling of this tomb. Like the wine cellar, there are sconces with everburning torches in them.
Sabelina is sorely tempted to draw attention to her discovery with a grandiose "AHA!" or "Eureka!", but she does not. Instead she counts on the rumbling of the sliding stone wall to clue people in. She does wave everyone else over excitedly as she peers into the opening.
"Woah. Nice find, Sabelina!" Xing follows the group through the strange doorway. [b]"I'm not sure what to make of this cellar ... burial place ... thing.
As they move forward, she begins watching the ground, walls, and ceiling, trying to locate any markings of recent passage by anything the size of the creature they're hunting.
"I know, right?!" Sabelina replies, clearly impressed with herself. For some reason she keeps whispering as if all the noise made so far hasn't happened.
Xing grins in at her friend, bearing her massive canines. Then she peers past her at the lit rooms beyond. She cocks her head in curiosity.
"Does that room seem big to you?" She looks over at Bob, "How big was this house?"
She's ready to move forward with the group.
Sabelina takes a few steps in, going far enough to get a better look at the thing sitting on the carpet. She doesn't want to leave Bob behind, he's in charge after all. It's far enough in for her to get a slightly better inkling of the possible crypt's size as well.
"I think this extends beyond the house's foundation. It seems very big."
While the young people busy themselves with checking out the old couples wine cellar, Mama busies herself with entertaining the owners. She strikes up a pleasant conversation with them, starting with the wife of course, and meanders around to their family, their history, and interesting little bits and bobs that they have scattered around the house. The two seemed rather prickly at first, and Mama does her best to make the visit surprisingly pleasant for them.
You stand near the center of a cruciform crypt with groin-vaulted ceilings throughout. In this main room, the floor is covered in an elaborate (and seemingly quite expensive) woven rug. Near the center of the rug - and directly in front of Sabelina and Bob - is a chest high, clay urn with a continual flame emerging from its mouth. The four sarcophagi in the corners of this room are all made of solid stone and decorated with bas reliefs. To your eyes this appears to be the shared crypt for a well-heeled family.
Looking further, in the northern wing you make out several more sarcophagi. At a glance, they appear to be in poorer condition and possibly older. On at least one of them, you think you see the shrouded, possibly mummified remains of a body.
The light entering the western wing reveals these sarcophagi also appear older, distressed, and possibly damaged.
The sarcophagi in the eastern wing appear to be in better shape but they are humbler, more plain, and lack the quality of finish seen on the sarcophagi near at hand.
Cookie escorts the owners back to the sunlit field where everyone is being observed for sunlight sensitivity and makes lively conversation the whole way. Once politely deposited, she makes her way back to the house.
Yash had been stoically standing watch over the older couple until they were escorted away by the watch. With few other options, he entered the dwelling, taking his time walking around to observe and somewhat appreciation such a structure. In truth he had never really been in a resident like this. His experience was limited to wooden taverns and hide-covered tents. It was a surreal experience for the half-orc.
Eventually he made his way down to the wine cellar where the others had uncovered a hidden crypt. He took a moment to summon his light, anchoring it to a small bone hanging from a thong on his armor. The spell complete, he focused his eyes, attuning them to any magical auras before following the others into the crypt.
Our heroes move around the burning urn to get a better view of the different wings of the crypt.
Xing prowls to the center of the room and stops, her body tense. Her head swings to the western wing, and her golden eyes squint in focus as she sniffs the air.
She points one clawed finger in that direction and looks over at the group, "Magic in there." She touches Senna's shoulder, knowing the archer has been a surprising source of information so far. "Senna and I will inspect it. The rest of you hold this room ... and be prepared for that ambush."
the tiger-woman leads teh way into the western wing to check out the source of the magical aura. She continues to check the floor for prints, and keeps her eyes open for attacks from any angle.
Senna casts a spell and follows Xing's clawed hand with her eyes. "Oh, that is intriguing. I can't tell anything about the field quite yet. Give me a moment." She moves to follow the big cat, eyes alert and bow ready.
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