Diseases. No. 1 [IC]

[ben-zayb]

Following closely behind Keratea and the Bard, Sibyl also found the tunnel splitting into two paths.
"Where to, Merilan?", inquired Sibyl to the one leading the group.

[Lady Moreta]

"Well, I'm assuming we'd rather not go blundering into anything," Merilan said, with a wry smile. "Let me try one thing first." The four lights had been hovering above Merilan's head, spread out slightly to give enough light for everyone. At her words they left their position above her head and moved down the left-hand tunnel.

OOC:

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As long as the lights stay within 10ft of each other, they can move 160ft from Merilan. I would like to have them go as far down one corridor as possible so we can see what's down there. If nothing, bring them back and send them down the other corridor so we can see clearly and then decide which is the best option.

Also - is Detect Thoughts still operating? I'm going to guess 'no' since it seems to be something that requires concentration and she hasn't been concentrating on it the whole time.

[Zazori]

You light up the two tunnels one by one, and you discover that they are both about 50ft long and both ends in a wooden door.
There is nothing special about the tunnels or the doors(From what you can see at range), other than they look similar.

ooc

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I'd say that the spell have stoppet.

[Lady Moreta]

Merilan called the lights back to hover around her head, an expression of dissatisfaction on her face, "Well, that was - less than helpful," she said. "I suppose we should just pick one." Turning to Mazora, as if just remembering that the woman had accompanied them, she added, "Can you offer any more information?"

[ArcoSan]

"I would NOT suggest splitting up..." she says as she approaches.

If the mount can also fit both of them approache the two openings and spends some time trying to listen if any sounds come from each one.

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Taking 20 on listen, one for each passage. Mine is 23 the mounts is 26.

[Zazori]

ArcoSan

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You cannot hear anything behind the doors.

I do not have any knowledge on this cave, I'm sorry.. Mazora answers.

[Lady Moreta]

"Oh, no. I wasn't suggesting splitting up at all. It would seem both tunnels are comparatively the same. I suggest we simply pick one and try it." Merilan replies.

[ArcoSan]

"I cant hear anything from behind either door... so either is good" she says and pauses

"When in doubt try to be right!" she says in a rare case of attempting humor.

If noone objects and since they are the same she first knocks on the door on the right corridor.

She looks back as she does so "We cant hear them and we have been pretty noisy ourselves so at least knocking shows we dont mean to force our way in... not as an opening move at least!"

If noone answers after a few seconds she knocks again, if noone answer again she tries the handle and opens it, if its locked she looks back to the others.

"Anyone can pick a lock or shall we break it down?"

[Zazori]

No one answers, the door opens as you try the handle.

Opening the door reveals a large room, with old wooden chairs and tables, there is a fireplace just to the left of the door, not ignited, but there is wood.

There are 2 doors, one to the left and one to the right.

[ArcoSan]

"This seems like a hideout... be on your guard..." she says as she walks inside looking around carefully.

She firsts puts her ear on each door and tries to listen for anything behind them and then she takes the time to search the room thorgouhly.

During that time she speaks mentally to her mount.

Arusa, as we are searching here someone may try to escape from the other door or try to come from our rear. Would you please stay back and tell me if the other door is opened or if someone comes up behind us?

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Taking 20 for 2 listen checks and taking 20 on a search check for the room.

[Lady Moreta]

"Lockpicking is not a skill I've managed to pick up, not that it appears we need it," Merilan responds dryly. She moves around the room in the opposite direction to Keratea, helping with the search.

OOC

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Will also take 20 on a search, for a total of 23

[ben-zayb]

Sibyl walked casually across the room, trying to open the doors silently; first to the right and then the one to the left.
OOC:

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or did i get the wrong idea that there are two additional doors inside the room?

[Zazori]

OOC:

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or did i get the wrong idea that there are two additional doors inside the room?

OOC

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There are 3 doors in this room.
The one you came from.
One to the left of the one you came from.
One to the right of the one you came from.

[ArcoSan]

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Ah sorry! I thought there were 2 of them...

So I check all three with listen checks (take 20).

[Zazori]

As you search the doors, you find nothing odd about them.

ArcoSan

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As you listen to the doors.
You hear nothing behind the door you came from.
You hear nothing behind the door to the left.
But behind the door to the right you can hear footsteps, very faint, but you can hear them.

[Zazori]

*bump*

OOC: Everyone suddenly hears footsteps very faintly behind the door to the right.

[ben-zayb]

"Footsteps", Sibyl said as he looked at the right door. "Faint footsteps behind that door. Can you hear them?"

[Lady Moreta]

Merilan frowns, also moving towards the door, "Yes, I can. I don't know that there's any point in waiting for them to come to us,"" she adds, looking towards the door handle.

[ben-zayb]

"Except you don't know whether those footsteps were actually coming for us", answered Sibyl. He then approached the right door near the paladin, intent on opening it.

"Excuse me Keratea", he told the paladin as he opened the door.

[Zazori]

You open the door, the door opens up to a long tunnel, halfway down the tunnel you can see the light from a torch and the shadowy figure of a human.

[ArcoSan]

Keratea steps forward and in the tradition of all paladins everywhere calls out.

"You there! Come back!"

[Zolkabro]

The shadowy figure steps forwards, and is about to throw the flaming torch towards the other people, when he recognises them.
"Keratea? Is that you?"

He jogs forwards further, and the light from his torch lights up the others.
"Merilan! Sybil!" He exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Nice to see a familiar face."

He looked around.
"Where is Faethyr?"

[ArcoSan]

Keratea raises an eyebrow and goes to draw her sword and then realises she doesnt have her sword.

"Skogr? What happened to you? Is it really you?" she asks...

"The wolf is here and he will confirm if its really you..."

[Zolkabro]

Faethyr walked along behind the others, his head hung, his tail between his legs.
"Faethyr has been a Bad Dog. Master told Faethyr to stay, but Faethyr went. What will Master say? Oh no..." These laments continued, until they went into a long tunnel, and Faethyr smelt Master.

He barked loudly, jumped around the pack-brother who smells of corpses, the pack-sister who smells of books, the kind pack-sister, and the stern pack-sister, and bounded towards his master, the pack-leader. The floor shook under his feet, and he nuzzled his master's side, hoping master would forgive him.

Skógr put his arms around Faethyr, and pressed his face into his fur.
"I'm sorry I left you, pack-brother. I won't do it again."

He turned to the others.
"I was imprisoned by a foul murderer, who we must find and punish. I woke up in a wooden cage, in a deep underground cave." Skógr told them all exactly what happened while he had been away. He was about to describe the dream he had, but decided against it. Do not let them think you are insane. Strange visions like these... They are the mark of a madman.

OOC: In order not to have to bother recounting it, I am going put the PM convo me and Zazori have had about my solo adventure in the OOC thread.

When he had finished, he asked them "And you? Were you imprisoned too? What happened? And what happened to that maddeningly annoying woman?"

[Zazori]

Are you talking about me? Mazora says.

[Zolkabro]

"Oh! Er..." Skógr muttered, embarrassed. "Of course not... ahem..."

[ben-zayb]

"Nice to see you back, Skogr! At least you seem to be fine. We went out looking for you, and thanks to Merilan's abilities we were lead here", Sibyl said as he examined Skogr closely, not noticing any sort of wound.

"I forgot to introduce you to our new companion. Here is Mazora", said he while motioning his hand towards her direction.

"Apparently she is not here for the caravan. But she was talking about this plague that might have caused the deaths we saw earlier. And about her being a murderer is yet to be proven or not. For now, I trust her words."

He paused for a bit, and then wondered about what the bard sensed earlier. He then looked at her and asked.
"Wait...Merilan... you said you sensed lots of thoughts, right? If so, then we are not alone, and there might be others like us. Or there might be survivors. Or worse... the perpetrators of whatever caused this", and then turned his gaze briefly at Mazora.

Assuming it wasn't really you.

[Lady Moreta]

"Yes, I did sense more than one set of thoughts." Merilan shrugged uncomfortably, "I don't know how much credence we should give that though. The spell should not have even reached this far. Still... it has led us to Skogr, so that's something." She frowned again, "I see no reason to disbelieve your story Skogr, the visions I saw under Mazora's influence were bad enough. I suggest we continue down this passageway for now, unless you can tell us what's down there?"

[Zolkabro]

At Merilan's words, Skogr turned abruptly to look at her sharply. "Visions? You had visions too? Describe them!" he said. While he was relieved he was not the only one, this was a little alarming, and he spoke sharply and urgently.

"Through that corridor there are many identical rooms, each with a bed, a chest, and a torch. I have not been in them all." Skógr said in answer to her question. "In one chest, I found a key, and in another, a silver ring."
He showed them the ring.
"Could one of you funky magic people tell me if this is cursed? And if not, does it do anything?"

[Lady Moreta]

Merilan raised an eyebrow at Skogr's sharp words, then dissolved into laughter at his 'funky magic people' comments. Sobering immediately upon describing her vision, she spoke, "Yes, I had a vision. I assumed everyone did. I don't know what the others saw, but I saw Mazora," she gestured once at the strange woman, "sitting by a tomb. She appeared to be praying. There was a flash and I was in a crypt - it was dark and I saw a figure that appeared to be human, but covered completely by a cape, I doubt I would recognise them again. They stood by a table of stone, with a dead body. Then I was back in the room we started in. I saw no one else, I just assumed everyone must have seen something as I believed Mazora was trying to show us the origin of this plague. Did anyone else see anything?" She asked then, looking around the others in turn.

"Oh, and give me that ring, I will check it for magic." Taking the ring from Skogr, Merilan held it in her hand and quietly cast her spell.

OOC:

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Detect Magic obviously