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Einar makes some further notes about the stables. As Eugenia leaves, he looks for a window that may give him a view of the sister who has just left via the front door, to see which one it is and where she may be going.
He then checks around the room (both visually and with detect magic), and outside of the rooms door to satisfy himself that no one is listening to the party.
Then he adds.
"I agree. Given we are here scoping out the inn on mercantile business we should have a degree of freedom to conduct some initial basic investigations without it seeming odd."
"Any preferences on where to start?"
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I agree having prisoners in the bedrooms won't make sense, if only for a business sense. They would be restrained in a secret place where no one can hear them. Maybe the inn has a cellar, under the kitchen? Guests won't be able to go in the kitchen, which can be a place noisy enough to cover muffled cry for help...
He thinks a while
Sir Boomstick, can you use your power to speak with plants to check with them if the inn has some undergrounds? PLants go every where, it's their nature...
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Void Diver looked paralized or just fully meditated until he answers Malycorn and probably Einar. His voice now sounds as quick mountain river...
- Agree. Wiser to keep prisoners underwater or underground. Less noisy, more safe. This persona can check water well. Reading item or talk to plants sound intriguing! This persona may talk to a bartender so that he won't deny. We have enough power to force cooperation. Should we? This body may be sneaky, but locked doors opening is loud. Lets start with checking toilet, disposal and weel.
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"Um. If the prisoners are underwater then they are probably dead. I don't think dwarves can breathe water.
I can speak to plants that are like me" Boomy explains "but not things like trees or grass. I did talk to some vines out in the garden who told me that there had been fleshy visitors. I can go and ask them if there are spaces underground. Ooooh, maybe there's an underground space ship!?"
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Einar considers what has been discussed. "A cellar would make sense in terms of muffling noise, and the kitchen would seem to be a good place for a cellar entrance as they are also a good place to store food and wines. While I don't think the dwarves will be in the well, it may also be worth investigating, as wells can be a good place to dispose of things you don't want anyone to find. The other place I think a secret prison could be hidden is in the stables as it's a place where guests would have little reason to go other than to drop of an collect their mounts."
"I don't think we should be using violence to assist in our investigation, unless we absolutely have to." he cautions "There is some investigation that we can do while still appearing to be normal guests, like speaking to the plants. But I suspect that we will probably need to wait until the owners have gone to sleep before we can do any more obvious investigations like going into the kitchen."
"Thinking about that scarf, one option for trying to get hold of it would be to say we like it and offer to buy it?"
"In terms of useful skills I may have, I can read lips, perhaps I can watch the old ladies from a distance and see if I can pick up any clues form their discussions?"
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"I'm passable at bluffing but not a great reader of people, I would worry that any mention of dwarves would likely make them suspicious of us." say Einar.
"Hmmm, it looks like one of the sisters has headed over to the stables. Is anyone sneaky enough to see what she is up to? I can certainly go for a walk in the courtyard and maybe spot something, but I'm not sneaky enough to get a closer look."
Einar wanders out into the courtyard to get a bit of fresh air.
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"Nobody suspects a simple vine" Boom Sticks explains, and follows Einar outside.
The little leshy first goes to ask his viney friends in the garden if they know of any underground spaces - or underground space ships. Then attempts to eavesdrop on Addas at the stables, adopting their vine shape to avoid notice.
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Einar saw glimpse of Addas when she entered the stable. Some time later stable boy Rosh leaves the Inn riding his horse. After Rosh is out of sight, Addas walks back to Inn smiling to Einar while passing him. She doesn't notice the leshy.
Vines ponder thoroughly Boom Stick's question "Yes! There is an underground house somewhere around here, but its hard to pinpoint its entrances or estimate its size."
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Einar gives Addas a cheery wave as the two pass each other.
Once the old woman has gone back indoors, he wanders up to the vine that he recognises as Boom Sticks and pretends to remove a stone from his boot. "Now that Rosh has left, I assume there is no one watching the stable." he whispers "If I can distract the old ladies so that they are not looking outside, do you think you would be able to sneak into the stables and take a look around?"
He then heads inside to and attempts to engage the three elderly innkeepers in a conversation about the various meals available on the inns menu...
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While the sisters are distracted, Kiri will help Boom canvas the area for an entrance or something like that to this underground structure. She will cast Detect Magic to aid her once away from the sisters or other prying eyes and ears (it's psychic spellcasting too, so no verbal component to make noise).
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Kiri doesn't find anything from E2 or E3, however you haven't yet searched north and south ends of the Inn. Void Diver finds upscale guest rooms on southern corridor. At the end of corridor is ajar door leading to a bathroom.
An expansive smithy is set up in the west end of the stable, one corner of it occupied by a small cot and a neat pile of clothing. To the east stretch a number of stalls for horses and other animals.
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Kiri doesn't find anything from E2 or E3, however you haven't yet searched north and south ends of the Inn. Void Diver finds upscale guest rooms on southern corridor. At the end of corridor is ajar door leading to a bathroom.
The merflok surely checks the bachroom to know quality of water here. And how water connection works. Sometimes you may dive to another shore...
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Mallycorn and Boom Sticks don't find anything interesting. However, the southeasternmost stall contains an unbroken mare that snorts, whinnies, and stamps its hooves restlessly. If you approach this horse, make a Will save DC 19 and two perception checks.
Void Diver finds two large claw-footed tubs flanking the fireplace in this bathroom. Several metal buckets sit by the fire for heating water that’s drawn from the well in the courtyard.
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You notice the horse is just an illusion. You don't find anything else.
One of the mounts has recently left the stable, along with riding accoutrements.
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If the bath contains warm water - the merfolk wants at least to wet up his tail and spend a bit more time here despite team somewhere else.
Void Diver also sees where water goes in and out but decides to investigate more. He concentrates to make a small octopus-like creature out of Water and Chaos. As his eye covered by vapor - as the octopus investigates water communications further inside, being tiny.
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When Kiri comes - Void DIver likely not yet irritated by missing water. He shows no surprise as the occultist finds a ((trap??)) door. Likely because he needs to concentrate so that the octopus remain. Although without any water VD decided no point continue.
-Crawl ther now or wait for others - thats the question!
he comments melancholically. After some delay as if remembering something the merfolk shows sign to Kirithiel so that she find others while he sontinue being here inside the bath.
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Boom Sticks returns from the stable to tell the others about the noisy but not real horse.
"Why would someone do that? Oh, and I noticed that one real horse has gone recently, and the stable boy isn't there any more. Maybe he went home? Except that there's sleeping quarters in the stable."
"Oh, you've found a trap door! That must go to the underground house that the locals told me about."
Boom Sticks checks their weapons in preparation for the descent, loading their blunderbuss with a dragonsbreath round.
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The wooden ladder descends from bathroom into cluttered and dimly lit L-shaped room. Crates and bits of furniture are stacked against brick walls and oaken doors lie to the east and south. The crates contain extra linens and tableware for the inn, as well as a variety of men’s and women’s clothing from a number of different cultures and races. Door to the south is unlocked.
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Once the party have gathered and are ready to investigate the cellar, Einar takes out his wand of heightened awareness and attempts to cast it on himself aided by some guidance
He then descends into the cellar and joins Orenjii in taking a look around, especially looking out for signs of the missing dwarves.