2) The Secret of the Haunted House

[coil23]

Doubtful

Still somewhat wary, Doubtful walks slowly toward the entrance hall with club raised.

[ravenn4544]

Ben smirks at the joke and steps out to meet Ermulf...

[OGRE MAGE]

Let me see if I have this straight. You guys have no qualms whatsoever about killing a man that is obviously part of some bigger (possibly criminal) organization, ransacking their living quarters, eating, stealing, and spoiling their food and drink supplies, and then taking their valuables, but you are afraid to talk to one of your own party members? I must say that this game has been a never ending run of "firsts" for me.

The group leader cautiously creeps down the hallway with his club at the ready and his cat in tow. Ben smirks and nonchalantly follows.

The pair soon see their friend Ermulf standing at the top of the stairway to the upper floor. He is looking over the room skeptically, presumably trying to discern what direction your voices are coming from. He does not look harmed in any way. In fact, he is grinning from ear to ear. He is not tied up or restrained in any fashion and there is no one holding a blade to his throat.

He speaks up once he notices you. Oh, there you guys are! I'm glad you decided to leave that hole before you were all murdered. Come on out and see who I've rescued!

He looks back down the hallway behind him.

Hey, where did he go? Oh, there you are.......Still a little frightened I see, eh?

You don't see the person that the young lad is speaking to.

[coil23]

Doubtful

Ermulf, how about you have your friend come out where we can meet this person properly?
Club is now held at his side.


Judging from the light through the windows and when seeing the patio area just a minute ago, how much daylight do we have left?

[wolfpack]

Jervis

jervis will have exited with doubtful to go see Ermulf.

Still on guard he will aproach the stairs axe in hands.

Who is with you and how many Ermulf.

Show Yourself!

he yells out.

[Mant72]

Keilif:

Keilif steps in from the porch to see what is afoot. "Who's with you Ermulf? Come on down. We need to leave. Now!" Still unsettled, Keilif keeps his mallet at the ready.

[Stirling]

Vhing Cranepool

Vhing asks Jonas to give him a leg up over the patio wall. "Jonas, come follow me. Alec you too, if you like.".

Assuming Vhing gets up and over a six foot brick wall, once on the garden side he will remove his pouch of thieves tools and toss the contents one after another (keeping his 'donkey cosh' aside though), to create a false trail leading leftwards and back to the main gate. He is trying to give the impression some careless lag has made a getaway towards town.

In reality, Vhing wants to either go hide by the well or re-enter the house secretly via the open goblin window. He hopes Alec and Jonas follow and we can decide together for the next action.

[OGRE MAGE]

Vhing's action is fine but I need the other players to know that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THEY FEEL FORCED OR EVEN SLIGHTLY OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THIS OR ANY OTHER PLAN THAT ANOTHER CHARACTER CONTRIVES!!!!!!

I would very much appreciate it if EVERY player would ONLY make an action for their own character from now on!!!

[Urson]

Alec stays with the main group, heading out into the house to meet Ermulf. His face brightens when he hears the term 'real adventurer', and he moves forward to meet this person.

[ravenn4544]

Ben sees that it is thier comrade and heads back to check the trap door. He will look for things to block the sides of it so that anyone lifting the trap door will only see out the front. He does not take long to do this as he expects it will open soon....

[Nordbo]

Danny Cruester

when heading out to greet Ermulf, quickly eyes the hall and surroundings; the ceilings, walls, floor surface. The group was in here recently and got good look then - coming back now, does the general area look different in any way ? (apart from having Ermulf in it).

He clasps the flaying knife in his pocket, just in preparation.

[OGRE MAGE]

The smell of the damp, moldy interior of the house grows even worse due to the heat of the late afternoon sun still blazing through the filthy windows. The group slowly makes their way down the hall to greet their lost partner. Danny thinks it wise to look around the room closely. He sees that nothing has changed from their initial search of the place.

Jonas gives Vhing a boost over the wall before he moves in to join the others, closing the patio door behind him. Ben stays back, looking for a way to block the trap door. He quickly remembers that the room is completely empty. Luckily, he hears nothing from down below yet. Jervis walks right up to the base of the stairs, commanding the man to show himself. So, he does.....


Ermulf

What the heck are you guys freaking out about? He is just a guy. His name is Ned and he was tied up in the last bedroom up here. He says he came in here last night, looking for a place to get out of the damp sea air till morning. He got jumped by a bunch of guys, probably those reavers. They kicked his ass and knocked him out. He has a big bump on his head to prove it! They stripped him, tied him up, and stuck him up here.

You know what else? He says he's a thief! A real live adventuring thief! Just like you want to be Alec! Maybe he could teach us some stuff!

Slowly, you see a rather rough looking, skinny, middle aged man with scraggly hair appear from the hall. He has nothing on but wool socks and a pair of undershorts. You can still see the marks from the ropes and gag that were used to bind him. He stands right behind Ermulf at the top of the steps, obviously trying to use him as a shield to block your view of his near naked body.

He wants to know what we found so far. Maybe even join up with us! Think we still got time to show him the basement?

[hedgeknight]

Burly looks the scrawny thief up and down and wrinkles his nose in a sign of disgust...as if seeing blue mold on week-old bread. "So, you get pissed of and run off and leave us and then show up with someone we don't even know and ask if we want him to join up?"
Burly just shakes his head.

[Mant72]

Keilif:

At the mention of going back down into the basement, Keilif's face ashens, "Absolutely not! I am leaving this place now! We are on borrowed time!"

[coil23]

Doubtful

Doubtful is thinking along the same lines as Burly evidently but now is not the time. In a fit of pettiness he thinks how good a thief can this guy be if he got caught? Not fair but he didn't care at the moment. Time enough to be cruel if we can survive first.

Speaking quietly, First order of business is for us all to lower our voices and get the hell out of here. Aren't we fixin' to have company? What did you hear behind the wall, Ben? Was there some secret door you discovered? We may have reavers on top of us at any moment.

[wolfpack]

Jervis

seeing a scrawny naked man Jervis relaxes and steps back with the rest of the group.

upon the mention of the man being a thief he scowles and mutters to the person next to him

dirty brigand I bet

[Nordbo]

Danny Cruester

dirty brigand I bet

"Yeah. Looks a bit fishy to me"

[wolfpack]

Jervis

Whispers to Danny

best we keep an eye on him

[Nordbo]

Danny Cruester

best we keep an eye on him

"I can put my 'fish eye' on him", twirling his fingers meaningly

[Urson]

Alec
First of all, we need to know _everything_ dis man knows about this place.

Alec's face is its usual glower, but he looks to Ned, hoping the guy will give out more information.