XI. Hunclay's Manor

[AleBelly]

Sylvan follows, ready to aid if anything goes tits-up.

[Storm11]

"I can appraise the stones," calls Kassal from the bed chamber. He will begin to search for secret exits, tapping walls and looking behind tapestries etc. even inspecting the ceiling.

[OGRE MAGE]

If the nightstand is void of anything relevant, Sparrow begins searching the floor of the room for any obvious hidden trapdoors or secret caches.

Why do thieves, um, excuse me. Why do halflings......always seem to get so possessive when they find something of value? He jokes.

[dmw71]

Kassal and Sparrow begin to perform an exhaustive search of the master bed chamber while Ciar and Sylvan return to the study to test the newly discovered keys on the locked chest which was previously left alone.

The search of the bed chambers fails to return any secret passages, but if the wardrobes and armoires are examined, Hunclay's rich clothing is discovered.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow picks up a scrap of paper off the nightstand and looks at it for a bit.

Wait a minute! I think I've got something here......... Anyone know where the clockwork lab is?

He offers up the note to whoever wants to read it.

[Storm11]

Hmmmm curious! Well it seems there is a ritual to communicate with some other world entity and the boss of the Kobolds, beginning with A, was in cohoots with Hunclay. It seems the wizard was partly behind the towers destruction after all. That will come in handy as proof with her ladyship" says the gnome wizard when he finally gets to read the missive.

[Alethan]

"The room where Kassel and I found the secret passage had a lot of workbenches in it. Each of the benches had all kinds of gears and mechanical bits on it. I assume that would be the clockwork lab. The daemon we found in the pentagram said something about Hunclay wanting it to help him disguise a book, but it had no further information on it," Ciar replies before leaving the room.

[saalaria]

Grim looks under the bed.

"Clockwork you say? Hmm m' cousin Dagor was allus fiddling wiv that kinda stuff...shame he aint here to poke his noise into this 'ere lab. He'd a come up with summink from it I'll be bound."

He then searches inside the backs of the wardrobes, looking for secret doors.

[onlyme]

Fulp tries to recall anyone in town's name who began with an A...

Then,
Well, I think we know the demolition was planned. Just not why. Maybe we need to get this back to town, so they know what they are facing.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow pipes in.

I don't think we should be talking about this in town. Somehow I think the commoners might get a little worried if they find out that there is a demon imprisoned in here.

Maybe we should just report our findings to the Barrenness so we don't cause unnecessary concern?

At any rate, let's finish our exploration of this place and come up with a plan for our return tomorrow.

[Alethan]

Ciar walks back into the room.

"The other chest had Hunclay's spellbooks in it. They don't look trapped to me, but I'm not touching them. The set of keys I just found fits the metal bookcase out in the library, but I still can't open it. Must be some sort of magical wizard lock; that's beyond me. If anyone knows how to open a wizard-locked door, speak up. And regarding Sparrow's earlier question... Here." He unceremoniously dumps the bag of gemstones out onto the floor in a small pile.

"There are a dozen stones." He looks them over carefully. "Kass can give them a look, too, but they all appear to be of about equal size and colour. I suspect there isn't much difference in the value of any of them. Six of us, so two each, regardless of value. You can sort that bit out yourself."

He randomly picks two stones from the pile and leaves the rest there.

Then he decides to go ahead and count out the gold coins. "Might as well split this up, too, before we call it a day. That way we can keep track of our own."

[Storm11]

Kass bustles over and examines the stones.

"There are various ways to by pass a wizard locked door. Spells of disenchantment and opening can do so. Without access to such magic there is also good old fashioned breaking and entering."

The gnome gives a wink to his halfling comrade as he goes back to appraising the gemstones

[onlyme]

Fulp will likewise take his two stones at random, unless Kassal appraises the 10 remaining quick enough to state there are differences. (if differences, Fulp suggests selling to split)

and his share of gold.

On our way out, the kitchen contained some silverware. We didnt pick up at the time, but shouldnt leave to the kobalds to take...

[OGRE MAGE]

Sparrow smiles a half toothless grin at Ciar.

No offense meant of course my friend. You have proven your worth to the group many times over already. I must say, you might be the toughest halfling I know. I've never seen one like you take so much physical damage and act as though it were no big deal.

He happily takes his share of the loot but frowns at Fulps statement.

Are we no longer concerned with the whereabouts of the other servants? What about the one hiding in his room? I can't say that I trust him to not interfere with our investigation while we're gone.

[Alethan]

Ciar shrugs,"No worries, Sparrow."

"I think them servants are loonie. I wonder what Hunclay did to them to make them so scared as to never leave their rooms unless he tells them to. And I wonder to what extent he controls them, even from the grave. But what's to be done about them? Heck, we haven't even found the others."

"We need to figure out if "A" is a person or a town. And we need to figure out where this book is he hid. There is a basement room I can't get into and there are several areas with strange magical writing on the walls and doors. If anyone knows a way of reading it, we might try and do so before opening the doors or walking down the hallways."

[Alethan]

"Kass, what do you think one of these gems is worth, by the way?"Ciar asks, turning to the gnome.

[AleBelly]

"Let's ask the servant if he knows who A is...or might be. If he doesn't tell, we should March him to the baroness. Or at least threaten to." Sylvan waits for a response.

[dmw71]

After counting out the gold in the chest, each member of the group finds themselves 214 gold pieces richer. Kassal, after examining the gems, estimates them to be at least 100 gold pieces each... maybe more.

[saalaria]

"So this here wizard was in league with Kobolds. I think the town deserve to be knowing what they is facin' here. Its only roight after all. The human downstairs, now that's a tricky bit o' business. We don't know he aint in contact with them Kobolds still .... But he seemed disturbed about everythin' right enough. Mayhaps we take 'im with us and see what the good folk of the town think."

[Storm11]

"The baroness was clear our mission was to head to the mine and clear out the kobolds at the beach wasn't it?" asks the gnome whilst pocketing his share of the treasure.

"Once rested I can memorise a spell that will read the Magic sigils I believe."