"Well, this looks promising." Akallabeth smiles when they find the hidden doorway. He aids in searching and making sure that the 'house' is clear, then studies the arcane script on the locked door.
"Well, this looks fairly defensible." He says while helping guide Lucienne to a fairly stable looking chair. He then returns to the script on the door. "Tenna-Sie? I don't get it. LIke most of the stuff in this castle." He admits grudgingly.
He summons the flame, and winces as the flames are forced into his eyes. He focuses his arcane sight upon the door.
"Rom, Aieranna, what do you two see here?"
Aerianna draws her weapons and carefully scans the area for threats "Nothing. Looks clear." she says curtly.
Using the light from my staff, I illuminate any dark portions of the room, while using one end to subtly tap the flooring to check for surprises.
"Hm,... Guys, the door doesn't seem to be warded, or if it is it's only minor magics. Probably just alarms as opposed to wards. But I'm seeing the letter "T" around the handle in a couple of places. I wonder, It could be the remnants of blessing with Holy Water, but more likely a key to bypass the alarms. Did any of those guys we first ran into have anything that looked like a "T" on them?"
He looks around at the obviously hastily abandoned rooms. "I'm very curious as to what they deemed valuable enough to actually bother with magic for. Shall we open it?" He grins.
"Minor magics? Evocations?"
"Hm,... Guys, the door doesn't seem to be warded, or if it is it's only minor magics. Probably just alarms as opposed to wards. But I'm seeing the letter "T" around the handle in a couple of places. I wonder, It could be the remnants of blessing with Holy Water, but more likely a key to bypass the alarms. Did any of those guys we first ran into have anything that looked like a "T" on them?"
He looks around at the obviously hastily abandoned rooms. "I'm very curious as to what they deemed valuable enough to actually bother with magic for. Shall we open it?" He grins.
"I suppose we must." Aerianna says, stepping forward and sheathing her blades. "Let me check it for any nasty surprises first." she says as she begins to carefully examine the door and the wall surrounding it.
I stand off away from the door and to the side, ready to unleash a spell in the event of enemies from the other side.
"Can you listen for people on the other side of the door?"
Akallabeth nods at Romulus suggestion, then waits for Airenna to give the door teh all clear. He leans in, still trying to be careful not to touch the door.
"No traps I can see." Aerianna says curtly, stepping to one side of the door and drawing her blades "On three." she says to Akallabeth, ready to strike. "One. Two. Three."
Akallabeth draws his longsword, summons the flame to his left hand, and nods his readiness to Arieanne.
"If anything comes out, let us blast it first before you close with yer blades."
Nodding curtly Aerianna opens the door, stepping back quickly so that Akallabeth can scorch whatever's lurking inside.
Aerianna leaps back from the collapsing floor, shouting a warning to her companions.
Distracted by Aierianna's shout, Akallabeth goes wide-eyed as the pile of debris teeters over directly towards him.
"Oh,... " And he is buried under the detritus as it falls.
Fussing, mostly at himself, he waves off the others offers of help as he extricates himself from the rubble. "Nothing hurt but my pride." He tells them.
To himself he adds, "All those lessons, and I can't even dodge a broomstick,... Rassin' Frassin' Knickle Frickle,..."
His grace if not his dignity restored, he aids the others in swiftly examining the room. He spares a moment for the large map, and says. "Kegi, would you be so kind as to examine this? CHeck it for accuracy against what we know of this floor?"
"Now then," He says, rubbing his hands together briskly as he turns his attention to the desk. "What do we have here?" He turns his still-burning magic-sensitive eyes to the objects on the desk, careful not to touch anything yet.
I dive to the left when I should have gone right and debris fall on me. Nothing is broken.
Dusting myself, "Oh for the love of the gods! Why do bad things happen to me?!"
As the voice booms out, Akallabeth jumps back, but the flame doesn't flare unbidden as it used to do.
'Good, at least I'm getting a little less jumpy,...'
Glancing at the others with a raised eyebrow that speaks volumes, Akallabeth leans forward again, making VERY sure not to touch anything this time as well.
'I was always raised to believe that a TRUE hero was modest, So,...'
"Well gentlebeing, I would have to humbly answer no, I do not consider myself a hero. We are but a group of well-meaning persons trying our best to right a great wrong. We DID defeat a group of brigands in this area not all that long ago. And I believe that any remainder are fled."
He looks again at the others,
"Um, WHOM do we have the honor of addressing??"
"Alright, Aristis. Don't bite and I'll bring you with me." I move to take the pendant.
"We happen to be looking for a way out ourselves." Akallabeth says as Romulus reaches for the pendant. He motions for Rom to be careful.
"An advisor to kings eh? Any we may have heard of? Pardon my curiosity, but where are you from,... originally? And how did you end up here?"
"Well,... Um,... Wow." I said, trying to sound intelligent, but unable to hide my wide-eyed expression from the others. "That's, quite a resume'."
"When you say 'trapped', do you mean physically? Is there a way you can be set free? Or were you 'captured' in spirit only?" I ask as Romulus slowly picks up the amulet.
My interest was genuine, but I was also trying to keep the amulet talking, so hopefully it wouldn't notice that I was ready to flame it at the first sign of an attack or mental domination of Romulus.
I nod at Akallabeth's cautionary signal and gingerly touch the amulet. At the first sign of any influence on my mind I let go of the amulet.