Calatin raps loudly on the door. There is no immediate answer, and then Calatin hears a muffled growling from the other side, almost like a large dog. He can't quite tell, but there might be more than one.
--
Around the back, Foggy and Demona find that a trash-strewn alleyway runs along the back of the row of houses. It is very dark, and only the stray light from the occasional lantern in the houses above lights their way. The chittering of rats, and the occasional gleam of vicious hungry eyes shows that they are not alone.
Counting off the houses, they arrive at what must be the back door to the house they are interested in. It is shut, and there are no ground floor windows on this side. The upper floor windows are shuttered.
Craning her neck to look up, Demona slings her crossbow onto her back and begins looking for a means of climbing up to the second story. If she finds some obviously easy means (DC 10) of climbing up to one of those windows, she'll do it (quickly, before Foggy can protest) and try to peer in through the shutters or slide something thin between them to lift the latch and open one a crack.
If she can't find an easy means up, instead she'll motion for Foggy to get back into the deep shadows, detach her rope and grappling hook from her pack and toss it up. Wih grappling hook securely (and loudly clanking into place), she'll retreat into the deep shadows with Foggy and cover one of the windows with her crossbow, getting him to cover a different one, and wait to see if she stirred anything up inside.
Foggy watches Demona. "That's not a goo-- " he hisses, but trails off as she finishes before he can do anything.
He loads a stone into his sling and let's it hang loose in his right hand. His left hand still clenches the charm in his pocket.
Stealth, if needed --
Demona has little difficulty gaining purchase on one of the lower window frames to haul herself up to the upper floor. She cannot see anything through the shutters, but as soon as she tries to slide a jemmy underneath them, something goes wrong. There is a small flash, a sizzling noise, and a small bolt of lightning arcs out from the windowframe towards the climbing woman.
Foggy sees his colleague briefly lit up from the flash of the electricity, before the alleyway is plunged into darkness again.
Reflex save:
Assuming that's good enough...
"S%@#!!" Demona mutters loudly enough for Foggy to hear. "Damned booby-traps!" She'll check out the shutters for any more traps, though it's probably already too late.
Perception:
Assuming she finds nothing, she continues her efforts to jimmy the shutters open, and when she does, if there's nothing threatening inside, she'll try to open the window, climb in, and drop Foggy a rope.
If she does see somebody inside the window, she'll just jump down rather than risk a confrontation in her current predicament.
Acrobatics:
Rufus tipy-toes and leans towards Jack, "Nice looking bow there, I've ahem tinkered with one of my own." He pulls his coat back reaching for the weapon. "Think it'll come to arms?"
keeping his eyes on the door jack says quietly "If i had to guess, whatever broke out that window, had wings and was carrying our corpse. So who blocked the window?"
"I'd guess the girl. She's our leading suspect. Or possibly survivor of what killed her teacher. If it's her, she's in there scared and ready to fight for her life or freedom against who knows what. This is a dangerous position," says Rufus grimly.
Calatin bangs at the door again, to be met with the same growls. There are definitely more than one of whatever is behind the door. For a split second, he hears something that sounds like crackling electricity, but it immediately fades.
Tylluan flies a brief circuit of the street in front of the house. Nothing seems to strike the bird at first, apart from "nasty smells" - an emotion that Calatin is familiar with from his arcane work. Then the bird's mood brightens considerably. Prey! RAT! Yum!
---
Demona continues to struggle with the shutters, but the almost complete darkness makes it virtually impossible for her to make progress. She jumps down to join Foggy but lands badly as her foot slips on some unmentionable piece of wet trash, and she ends up winded, face down in the filthy alley.
Disable device to open shutters:
"Demona, are you all right?", Foggy whispers.
Demona jiggles about with her jemmy, but in the almost total darkness cannot get the shutters open.
Shimmying down to street level again, she lights her lantern, passing to to Foggy to hold. With him focusing the light, she has a better look, carefully lifting the latch on the shutters and allowing them to swing back.
The small window seems to lead into a tiny, airless kitchen. The air is stuffy and warm, with a slight hint of spoiled food. A small woodburning stove sits in one corner, although no flame seems to burn within. A single closed wooden door leads out of the room.
-----------------
*CRUNCH* YUM! *CRUNCH* *SWALLOW* *HAPPYHAPPY* is what Calatin gets from Tylluan after the bird swooped down into the shadows to nail some unfortunate rat.
"Your right, she could be scared out of her mind." Jack moves infront of the window and calls out. "By the authority of the city watch, open up in there."
Seeing where this might be going, Foggy looks around for anything that could be used to jam the door shut, or as a trip-line outside the door, or as a last resort that will make noise if someone opens the door.
Also, Foggy casts light in the lantern in addition to actually lighting the wick.
Seeing where this might be going, Foggy looks around for anything that could be used to jam the door shut, or as a trip-line outside the door, or as a last resort that will make noise if someone opens the door.
[/ooc]
You could place some trash in front of it. Or you could hunt about in the alley to see if you find a stray crate, or barrel or something.
"Your right, she could be scared out of her mind." Jack moves infront of the window and calls out. "By the authority of the city watch, open up in there."
No response from the house you are interested in, but several curious faces appear at windows in other houses in the street.
You could place some trash in front of it. Or you could hunt about in the alley to see if you find a stray crate, or barrel or something.Seeing where this might be going, Foggy looks around for anything that could be used to jam the door shut, or as a trip-line outside the door, or as a last resort that will make noise if someone opens the door.[/ooc]
While Demona climbs back up, Foggy quickly gathers debris from the alley and tries to pile it so as to trip anyone leaving the door.
Also, if our gracious DM will allow another little retcon, when Demona's on the ground with me:
Foggy notices the raw wounds along Demona's arms. He grabs her forearms and calls upon the power of "my lady". Demona feels a dozen sharp stinging sensations and tries to pull away but FOggy tightens his grip. Another second and he lets go. New pink skin covers the wounds.
On the ground: Demona looks over the healed wounds and nods her thanks. "Your bedside manner could use some improvin', but I can't argue with your results. Now be a dear and hold this light for me."
Once she gets the window open, she quietly slips inside the tiny kitchen and sneaks over to listen at the inside door.
Stealth:
Perception:
Assuming she hears nothing, she'll search for traps on the door.
Perception:
On the ground: Demona looks over the healed wounds and nods her thanks. "Your bedside manner could use some improvin', but I can't argue with your results. Now be a dear and hold this light for me."
Once she gets the window open, she quietly slips inside the tiny kitchen and sneaks over to listen at the inside door.
...
Foggy dutifully holds the lantern.
She sticks her head back out the window and whispers down, "Coming?"
"Anyone good with animals? Let me see if the door is locked."
jack will try the door to see if it's locked but not open it yet.
The door is indeed locked. While he is trying the handle, Jack too hears the the growling coming from inside, but he also hears a metallic clanking noise, like a length of chain being shifted.
...
She sticks her head back out the window and whispers down, "Coming?"
Foggy looks around and shrugs before lifting his eyes back to Demona. "I'm not very good at climbing. Can't really reach."
Foggy looks around and shrugs before lifting his eyes back to Demona. "I'm not very good at climbing. Can't really reach."...
She sticks her head back out the window and whispers down, "Coming?"
She lowers a rope to him, and hauls him him if necessary.
Foggy and Demona stand together in the cramped kitchen. The light from the lantern shows patches of damp on the cheap whitewashes walls. Some dirty pans, the food dry and encrusted, are stacked in one corner. The metal of the stove holds a gentle residual heat, but no fire burns within. It looks as though no-one has been in here in a few days.
Pausing to look round, they too can hear a bestial growling coming from somewhere closeby in the building.
Demona looks around the kitchen for something she could use to brace the door shut if needed, and then ever so quietly tries the latch leading deeper into the house.
Foggy notices the faint warmth of the stove. He calls on "his lady" for light to peek in the grate.
When he is finished with the stove, Foggy pads softly after Demona.
"Locked? Let me take a look at that, Sarge."
Rufus reaches a hand deep into his coat and pulls out a set of "thieves" tools.
Making room for Rufus, Jack watches as he works on the lock. "I'm not even going to ask where you learned that"
The lock to the front door is not of great quality, and Rufus makes short work of it. As it opens with a 'snick', the heavy door swings slightly ajar on its own weight, giving Rufus and Jack a whiff of...something unpleasant and sulphurous. The entrance hallway is gloomy, lit only by a few beams of light coming througha picture window halfway up the front wall. Large, hulking shapes move in the gloom, and the clanking of chains is clearly heard. A wooden stairway leads up to a landing where there is another door.
As Rufus pulls back, he has the fleeting, but distinct impression that someone is peering at him through the slightly open landing door.
====
Demona cracks open the kitchen door an inch or so. The air is foul and sulphurous. Beyond all is almost entirely dark, apart from a little light streaming through a picture window halfway up the front wall. She can see that the kitchen stands off the landing of wooden stairs that continue upwards, and lead down to an entrance hallway. Large, hulking shapes move in the gloom, and the clanking of chains is clearly heard.
As she watches, the front door opens a crack, and she has a brief glimpse of someone peering in, before they draw back rapidly.
In the extra lamplight now coming through the door, she can now see two lumpen, misshapen humanoid creatres lurking in the hallway, tethered to great iron rings in the floor by thick chains that end in collars around their necks.
When the front door opens a crack, Demona casts message and sends to the open doorway, "Whoever you are, Foggy and I are up on the landing. These things look nasty. I suggest a synchronized attack. Respond with this spell."
"Foggy," Demona whispers. "Put one of those light spells on this crossbow bolt, so I can light one of them up for us. I think the Sarge has the front door unlocked. If those things do something unfortunate, we can at least attack them from both sides."
She takes careful aim at one of the dark shapes.
Rufus and Jack hear Demona's disembodied whipser:
"Whoever you are, Foggy and I are up on the landing. These things look nasty. I suggest a synchronized attack. Respond with this spell."
"See if they will take the food and leave us alone, we'll ready our crossbows in case they refuse your bribe."
to the disembodied whisper. "Calatin feeding them, if fails, we attack"
jack then aims his crossbow at the nearest one, ready to shoot should things turn south.
Foggy complies with Demona's request, calling on "his lady" to [i]light[/] the bolt.
Then he tries to peek through the door to see what they are facing.
If he gets a good enough look Foggy will try to ID the creatures.
Know (religion)
Know (Arcana)
With a heavy heart and disappointed stomach, Calatin nudges the door open slightly and chucks the two pies into the darkness towards the lurking creatures. As he does so, there is a terrible roaring sound as the two creatures surge forward, suddenly cut off into a hideous gurgling. Calatin hears a curious sniffing, and then a low angry rumbling.
===
From their vantage point, Demona and Foggy watch the door open a crack, and an unseen hand throw two objects into the hallway. The two creatures surge forward towards the opening door, but are brought up short by the lengths of iron chains around their blubbery necks. One of the creatures bends down to sniff at the two thrown objects, now lying smashed on the hallway rug. Seemingly unimpressed, the creature stands, gurgles something at its companion, and the two resume their stances as far as their restraining lengths of chain allow.
===
Their sulphuric stench and aura of evil tell Foggy that this must be some form of evil outsider, probably summoned here to serve as guardian. They must be particularly weak and stupid creatures, as they are bound by chains, and the legends of evil outsiders tell that they are usually strong and cunning enough to break mortal binds. He also remembers that they are often resistant to attacks other than with blessed weapons.
Can Demona see enough of the chains to tell if the creatures could reach her up on the landing or the people at the door? Perhaps they can just stay out of reach and pelt the things with crossbow bolts until they die.
"They're some kind of summoned demon," Foggy whispers to Demona. "We may need a holy weapon to harm them -- or maybe holy water."
Can Demona see enough of the chains to tell if the creatures could reach her up on the landing or the people at the door? Perhaps they can just stay out of reach and pelt the things with crossbow bolts until they die.
The definitely can't get outside - their chains brought them up just short when they were charging the front door.
The chains appear to be secured at the base of the stairs. How far up the stairs they could get is difficult to judge. Maybe the could reach someone standing on the landing - maybe they couldn't.