After Garrett gets blasted, "We must be on the right track. Whatever is up there, Antius didn't want anyone getting at it easily."
"Garrett, take your time on the rest of the wires. We are relatively safe here as I don't think anyone would be arriving until morning."
Ivan keeps an eye out to the captive while listening to his allies and their discussion of the trapped area.
Damandor says, "Yes Garret I have one more spell that I can use to heal you." Damandor then begins to speak softly words of supplication in an unfamilar language. He then reaches out and touches the wounded halfling.
It appears that Damandor's supplication to Corellon has been heard as healing power courses through his hands and into Garret, healing his wounds.
Once Damandor has healed him, Garret tries again to disarm the middle tripwire. After a few moments, he has been unable to render it inoperative.
"Alright, everyone back up. One way or another, this tripwire won't be here when I'm done."
On his third attempt, Garret is able to circumvent the middle tripwire. The other two are still active, however with care you are easily able to step over them and proceed up to the landing on the third floor. When you reach the top landing, you see that it is unadorned apart from the large statue of Antius at the top of the stairs. There are one or two doorways leading off to what is clearly the master suite. On investigating them, you find a bedroom, a sitting room and a richly appointed bathroom with ornate, marble tiling and gold plated taps and fittings.
The other distinguishing feature of the landing on the third floor is an imposing, reinforced door with a large and well fashioned lock. Listening at the door reveals no hint of what may lie beyond.
"I'd complain about his paranoia if it wasn't so obviously justified. We got any way of getting through that door?"
I could try melting it...
"Garret was able to by-pass the trap on the stairs, might he also be able to unlock this door, I think it would be worth a try. You might want to see if it is also trapped before you try. Although I have no expertise in such things, I can help look."
I could try breaking it down.
With a mighty heave, Ivan launches his leg forward in a powerful front kick.
Eland approaches the door and casts his light spell on his lantern. He looks for any arcane symbols and then casts 'detect magic'.
With a mighty heave, Ivan launches his leg forward in a powerful front kick.
Ivan's kick makes the door shudder, however it remains closed. With time, you suspect he would be able to batter it down, especially given some help as the door is wide enough for two people to attempt to batter it down.
Eland approaches the door and casts his light spell on his lantern. He looks for any arcane symbols and then casts 'detect magic'.
Eland:
"I would be glad to assist Ivan in trying to batter down the door, although my strength is not as great as others in our party I suspect, but with Grunthor weakened by the last battle, I will do what I can."
Eland unclinches his cheeks as he thankfully detects no magical auras at the same time that Ivan strikes the door. "Maybe we should check Antius' room for a key, whatever is behind this door, we may want to lock it up again once we have exmained it."
Eland begins looking through drawers and on tables. "Although I also suspect we might want to bring whatwe find with us."
I have never met a door I could not break down. Ivan says as he prepares to assault the obstacle again with the help of a companion.
door break: 22
With a grunt, he crouches and launches his shoulder into the door, leaving room for his companion to assault the door also.
"Hey, people! Maybe I should try to open the lock before we smash the door down."
"Alright, now you can smash it down."
*Seeing that the door doesn't seem able to be broken in, Flint scans the door for hinges.*
Eland unclinches his cheeks as he thankfully detects no magical auras at the same time that Ivan strikes the door. "Maybe we should check Antius' room for a key, whatever is behind this door, we may want to lock it up again once we have exmained it."
Eland begins looking through drawers and on tables. "Although I also suspect we might want to bring whatwe find with us."
"Great idea. You work on that. Anybody got any acid? We could use that to burn out the lock. Or the hinges. Good thinking on that one Flint."
As you all gather before the door, it is apparent that it has been well designed to prevent breaching. It opens inward and the hinges are not visible from this side. Eland’s searching fails to turn up a key or anything else and Damandor and Ivan continue battering at the door. After some time, the door begins to give, the door splintering as the two of them give one final heave. Damandor and Ivan stumble into the final room as the doors burst inwards, revealing an even more horrific scene than that which confronted you on the second floor.
The room you are entering is a library and study, the walls covered with floor to ceiling bookshelves, most packed tight with large volumes. Opposite the door is a large mahogany desk, with a heavy, ornate chair behind it. Off to one side are two thick chairs next to a fire, with a small table between them.
Dominating the scene, is the grotesque sight of Antius, spreadeagled across his desk with a gaping hole in his chest. Eyes wide open, staring up at the roof, his face a mask of terror and pain. His heart has been cut out and his blood strewn across the floor, marking out an intricate, arcane symbol in a gory pattern across the luxurious, thick carpet.
Eland casts a 'detect magic', scanning the room for any aura's.
"Be careful, whoever did this had acces to teleportation magic or dimension door to gain access to the locked room, they are obviously very potent."
As Eland scans the room, his thoughts wander to the tomes and what treasure's they might contain. He wonder's if he could find a good enough forgery expert to make some birth documents that would show him to be Antius' long lost son. He could get used to living in a place such as this, and think of the mischief he could get to with his new station.
"NO! We are too late, I was afraid that this would be the case, but I was hoping that he would still be alive, or at least near death, so that I could help him."
Monty:
Damandor turns to Eland and says, "Eland have you any knowledge of these arcane markings that were left on the floor, and what they might mean?"
Grunthor is still sitting on the floor on the second story landing. When he receives news of what has happened he is deeply disturbed. I guess we open the crate and hope for clues there he states.
Unfortunately, he is not in good enough shape to climb walls or run from the city guard unless he rages, which won't last long.
He looks at Damandor and asks if he has any healing power left?
If not, he almost needs a day of rest before he could leave this section of town.
While he is resting, he checks out his former opponents' long swords and picks up the best lookiug of them. Especialy if there are any masterwork swords.
Garret recoils from the body. "If they could get past that door no problem, why did they kill the servants? Oh, these guys will be killed by the time this is done."
"Well, shouldn't we leave now? The Watch will probably show up in five minutes, knowing our luck."
Garret recoils from the body. "If they could get past that door no problem, why did they kill the servants? Oh, these guys will be killed by the time this is done."
"Well, shouldn't we leave now? The Watch will probably show up in five minutes, knowing our luck."
Anyssa has gone pale and looks like she's going to vomit.
"Wha - Yeah, we should leave," she agrees, her eyes glued to the grisly scene.
Having stayed silent since seeing Antius corpse, Flint pulls out a twig from a rowan twig and snaps it.
"May your spirit be at peace. We should not stay in this place long, but we should collect anything of value and return it to his next of kin."
He also hands a piece of willowbark to Anyssa and instructs her to break it and breath in it's scent to settle her stomach. Flint moves to a window on the same floor as Antius' room, and begins to watch for the Watch.
Damandor:
Flint moves to a window on the same floor as Antius' room, and begins to watch for the Watch.
The top floor of Antius's home provides an excellent view of the streets and boulevards of the surrounding neighbourhood. As you peer through a gap in the thick curtain, you can see that the surrounding roads are all clear of traffic. You can't see anyone moving about, official or otherwise.
While he is resting, he checks out his former opponents' long swords and picks up the best lookiug of them. Especialy if there are any masterwork swords.
Their equipment is serviceable, but there is nothing extraordinary. They each have longswords, shortbows and a quiver of around a dozen arrows.
I also do not like the idea of remaining in this carnage. If there is nothing here to find, then we should go back to the warehouse and open the crate. The item inside may give us more of an idea of what is happening.
Damandor quietly offers a supplication to Corellon for the passing of Antius and his household. As he turns to leave the room he says, "Although I know not what this mark that was left means, or if the manner in which Antius was killed has any meaning, it is plain that this was no ordinary murder."
Damandor says to Lyl, "Do you know anything about the item we retrieved from your group last night for Antius?"
After awaiting a reply from Lyl, Damandor will search the room looking for anything that may give the party a clue as to what is going on and why they were hired by Antius. Perception (sight): 1d20+4=6, and checking for secret compartments, doors, etc., Perception (touch): 1d20+2=18
Eland examines the runes left in blood on the floor.
Knowledge (Arcana) 1d20+8= 22
"I think that we are actually quite safe here. The assassins apparently have gotten what they came for, and are unlikely to return to the scene of the crime. The high walls of the compound will keep us safe from casual scrutiny. We can then bury the dead in the garden, let or wounds heal, and carefully examine the contents of the library. We may not get another chance to exmaine this room if we hurry off."
Anyssa turns her back to the carnage in front of her and breathes the scent of the willow bark as instructed.
"Thanks, Flint," she says weakly. This had gotten so far beyond what she was prepared to deal with.
"Guys, can we find the keys to that crate anywhere?" she asks, trying to concentrate on something else.
Entering the room reluctantly, your group makes a search of the bookshelves, table and the large desk. The last is a somewhat grisly task, given the need to avoid your employer's body. The papers on the desk have been strewn about - as if someone had been searching through them. Inisde the drawers and cupboard of the desk, you discover a small lockbox, the key protruding from the lock, which has been left open (and empty).
The expression on your captive's face is hard to read - she seems stoic and professional - used to dealing with violence and death, yet the scene in the study is gruesome even for Bastion standards. You can't really tell very much. When Damandor asks her about the package she shakes her head. "I wasn't there," she answers with a slight shrug. "I know there was some kind of delivery and it went sour, that's all."
Damandor:
Eland:
Despite the gruesomeness of the task Damandor continues searching, looking for any clue as to what Antius had in mind for them.
Monty:
Here's a Perception check in case you needed another one other than my last post. The base roll is: 1d20=12 and if it is sight or sound then add +4, otherwise add +2.
Flint tries to search the carefully.
Ivan tries a logical search through the room with his eyes, murmuring a mantra It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.
perception: 22
After some time, Ivan discovers a section of one of the bookcases which appears to be oddly proportioned. With a little experimentation, he finds a hidden mechanism which causes it to swing open, revealing a small recess in the wall. Inside you see a carefully folded letter and three scrolls, each individually tied with a ribbon. There is also an iron key on a chain, two flasks containing some sort of liquid and a small pouch of coins.
"Alright, we found the hidden cache of goodies, we found what's probably the key to the crate, can we please go now?"
"Alright, we found the hidden cache of goodies, we found what's probably the key to the crate, can we please go now?"
"I second that," Anyssa says with a shudder. "The sooner we leave here the better."
"I agree my friends, I think we need to gather up Grunthor and get ourselves back ot the warehouse where we can study these items we have found."
"Once we get back to the relative safety of the warehouse we can check to see if any of these items are magical, or I could quickly do it now if you would like?"
"Let us hold off on the appraisal until we are safe shall we? I do not want to be here when the Watch searches this place."
We could burn the place down. It would serve as distraction as well as funeral pyre for the victims here. It would be a better end than the shallow grave then the city would give them.
Elandlooks around for anything that could tie him to Antius in a familial way, or at least to the manor. He also searches for anything that could be Antius' spellbook.
perception 1d20= 15
"I am beginning to think you are right about leaving. On our way back to the warehouse, I will stop and apprise my master of what has happened. I will see if he can have someone come and bury the dead and clean the manor."
As they leave, Eland lingers a bit looking for keys to the manor amongst the servents quarters.
Elandlooks around for anything that could tie him to Antius in a familial way, or at least to the manor. He also searches for anything that could be Antius' spellbook.
perception 1d20= 15
"I am beginning to think you are right about leaving. On our way back to the warehouse, I will stop and apprise my master of what has happened. I will see if he can have someone come and bury the dead and clean the manor."
As they leave, Eland lingers a bit looking for keys to the manor amongst the servents quarters.
In an attempt to help identify it, Flint tries to memorize the arcane symbol on the floor.
"Grunthor, it is very bad. Antius is dead, killed in a very horrible fashion. We were how ever able to locate some items that may aid us in our quest, but we must leave here quickly. We are afraid that the watch may come to investigate at any time, and in our current condition I fear that we would not survive. And if we are captured, I don't think ..."
Damandor just trails off, for he can't even bring himself to say what he thinks would happen if they were captured.
"How fit are you for travel? Unfortunately, I have no healing power left to me until I have some time to meditate and rest. If we can get back to the empty warehouse where we can be at peace for a time, I can assist your natural healing somewhat."
Ivan moves out of the room and sees the cleric talking to the wounded barbarian. He offers to carry the half-orc but suspects the warrior too proud to accept his help.
Grunthor thanks Ivan for his offer but politely refuses. "If I cannot move I would rather stay here. I belive that I can still move myself but running might reopen my wounds at this time. I would however be willing to compromise. I'm not too proud to accept some assistance. Maybe with my arm over your shoulder I might be able to make better time."
"Is there another exit from this quarter? I don't think that those guards will fall for Elands distraction again. And climbing a wall is all but out of the question for me."