"It seems to still be there. The last haunt was finished in a few seconds. I doubt this is a haunt." Byron says.
"Do you hear that? The sound of a crying child."
Aiko pauses a moment.
"Given what we've seen here, almost certainly undead."
"I'm not sure which one I'd prefer right now." Best case scenario is it's just their imagination, but they hadn't been so lucky so far.
Zaraleva contemplates this new scenario. "Maybe it's not a haunt, but if it's noncorporeal undead, we are in a lot of trouble. We only have one magic weapon and little spellpower left. Maybe we close this door and come back later? According to the map, it doesn't lead anywhere. Kelda, you weren't with any children when you were taken, right?"
She shakes her “No. we didn’t have any children. Whatever this is, it wasn’t with us.” she clutches her weapons and looks warily at the room with sidelong glances, obviously disturbed but the sounds.
"It might be a live child. If it needs help, we should aid it lest it be killed for what we have already done here." Byron says with a frown.
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Aiko raises her eyebrows skeptically and says, "You really think a lone living child is in the middle of this monster murder house in the middle of nowhere? Kelda was captured, her crewmates were killed, this whole place was sacked decades ago and nobody has been here since, and a child just... wandered here from the middle of the wilderness and is up in an attic sobbing where any of these creatures can hear it?"
"I will put down money it's undead."
"I stand with Aiko. I have heard of creatures that pretend to be injured or crying children and they are only a trap, usually deadly. Byron, you're a good soul, but this room was sealed. There's no way a child got past this door. If you want, we can thoroughly check U11 and U13 to see if there are secret doors or vents into this room." She looks up at Byron hopefully.
Lareasel looks between her companions. Aiko and Zaraleva made sense.
"As much as I wish otherwise, I'll have to agree with Aiko." Adrian added with a sigh. He looked back at the crew as if seeing if anyone else would volunteer to go in first. When no one else did, he groaned but went towards the source of the voice in order to find it.
Zaraleva tries to hold him back. "Stop!"
You stop just as you’re about to enter and hear the crying stop, though the ghostly murmurs remain. You can see just over the destroyed remains a small skull of what looks to be a dog bobbing ever so slightly there’s other bones next to it. You also see scattered around what look to be drawings of some kind scattered across the floor.
There was no hesitation from him as he froze in place. What he saw... weirded him out. "I see... a dog? But that can't be right. The place doesn't look like it's been opened for years."
"Back away, and we'll deal with it later. Close the door." Lyraesel says quietly, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing up.
Exerting no actual strength, Zaraleva pulls Adrian back and shuts the door. "Not for today, my friend."
Byron frowns at the closed door and then will follow the others.
Moving to the curved room you open the door to see within a study. The chamber’s furniture—couches, drawing tables, and empty bookshelves—lie in disarray, with the exception of one writing desk and chair in the center of the room, its surface heaped with pages of parchment and paper. Stairs curve up and down to the south and north respectively.
You can hear what sounds to be pacing and the clack of talons on stone echoing down from above.
Zaraleva puts a finger to her lips in a shushing manner and points up the stairs. She then tries to lead the group back into the hallway and whispers, "If we go up one at a time, we are at a disadvantage, even if we surprise them. Should we try to lure them down the stairs where we can surprise them? Or will that just announce our presence and they will wait for us to go up the stairs?"
"It may be better to lure them here. The question is how." Adrian replied. "One of us could do some convincing, whether as bait or pretending to betray the rest of us."
"And if they smell a trap?"
"We hope whoever lays it can return to us safely," Adrian replies. "Like I said, we could also reveal our location, but I'm not sure if they'd take that bait either."
"I can go up and act as the bait if you wish to try and lure them down here." Byron offers the group. "But it might be good if I was healed before I did it."
Zaraleva converts a first-level spell into CLW for Byron.
"Now you sneak up there and use your reach to kill the lone corbie? And come running back if there are several? We can set up at the bottom of the stairs."
Nodding at Zaraleva, Byron moves up the stairs as quietly as possible.
Moving up you see the walls of this semicircular room are lined with bookshelves, although the majority of the books lie in disorganized piles on the floor. A large, filthy nest of grass, branches, and strips of cloth is tucked in the northeastern corner of the room, while a wooden door is open leading to a balcony near the northeastern side of the room. You see the source of the sound. A woman with large bird like wings and claws for feet, in rather plain clothes covered by a chain shirt is pacing, she has a bow on her back with a quiver full of arrows.
As you walk up the stairs she looks over and seeing you tilts her head, she speaks but no sound comes out. And for a moment your eyes are locked as she stares at you with a confused face, before waving at you weakly.
Seeing only one being Byron will call down, "Come up peacefully." He then moves forward but keep her at his spear length away, "Can you speak?"
Looking at her companions, Lyraesel warily stalks up the stairs, weapon in hand but held low.
Zaraleva loads the crossbow and walks up after Kelda.
Kelda holds her spear and shield and follows up. As you get to the top you all see what Byron sees. The woman mouths something for a moment to answer but shakes her head; she holds out a hand and points at offering it to you, miming touching it with her other.
Byron decides its worth the risk now that his allies are up here and will lift his spear up and move to touch the creatures hand.
Lyraesel watches closely, studying the bird woman's body language.
Zaraleva also attempts to sense motive (as a move action?) and then casts Detect Magic.
Untrained, with Wisdom.
Apparently also unaware and unskilled.
It wasn't something he would have done, but he held steady regardless. He also checked to see if the woman meant any harm to them.
As you all come into the room she looks to all of you running her eyes across all of you. Her demeanor doesn’t change and her hand remains gestured outwards and Byron is able to reach out and take it.
As her hand graces Byron’s she tilts her head and focuses on him for a moment her large avian like eyes focusing on him.
"I don't think she means us harm, but she doesn't consider us a threat either." Lyraesel mutters.
Byron then calls back to the others, "This is Zaiobe, she seems to be able to use telepathy when we touch hands. She mentioned someone named Kikonu and suggested that whoever they are is concerned about us. Zaiobe seems to think we can help each other."
Adrian narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Did she tell you who this person is?"
Adrian narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Did she tell you who this person is?"
Zaraleva looks around nervously. "And where?"
You would recognize her as a harpy, a form of avian monstrous humanoids that are usually quite violent and wild. They can work with other societies though there’s is one built on manipulation and power so it’s not uncommon for them to work together only for common goals. You’d notice as well that her telepathy is something very unusual as well as seemingly paired with being mute would make her unique.
She looks to all of you as you talk with large eyes, before looking back to Byron.
He then says to the others, "She says his name is Kikonu and is the self proclaimed king of this place. She has offered to lure him into a trap and aid us in defeating him. I am asking why the tengu are here and about the floating monster."
Winsome mutters nervously. "A mute harpy with telepathy is incredibly unusual. Maybe she is not as wild and violent as others of her species? She might be willing to work with us if we have similar goals."
"Sounds great, but how do we stop him from teleporting away again?" She has her dubious face on.
she looks to Zaraleva and scowls slightly before focusing again.
"That is unusual..." Adrian agreed, scratching his head in the process. "Would she have the same ability to lure people towards her?"
She tries to read that scowl.
"Oh! Sorry! I just thought that... he might... teleport again... um if we don't stop him."
She nods and bows, deferentially.
but isn't really sure that means anything to her.