Chapter 3: The Lord's House

[Sapperzz]

*That northerner might well get himself killed for following me up here*

Saal gestures back to Hlalf again, crunching his arms down in a swift motion to signal the deadly jaws of the mousetraps ahead. He gives a quick beckoning motion and moves through the maze carefully, attempting to make it to the other side of the table closer to the entranceway to the dining room.

[AureoBuendia]

"I clearly knew less than I thought I did," Aurs says holding on to the bird. "Member of the Merchant's Guild. Businessman, important person in the community. Growing up he was just my uncle. Important man, but wouldn't expect anything like this form him."

Waiting for judge to fill me in on anything else of note he would know of his uncle that may or may not be relevant and correct me if I'm wrong.

[Marullus]

AureoBuendia:
Any response to Raamiz and Shmehk? Fiemar's likely to defer to your authority on these social matters.

[drpete]

Aurs doesn't know anything about his uncle that would explain what is going on here, unfortunately.

[Wintermute]

Looking quizzically at Saal as he makes strange gestures of greetings from an unknown far off land, Hlalf grabs a nearby pice of detritus and chucks it at an unsprung mousetrap to try to trigger it.

Agility Test: [1d20+1] = 12+1 = 13

In North Speak:

Be careful. Big-little traps!

He says, pointing at the mousetrap.

[drpete]

Hlalf's throw triggers one of the traps! A giant set of mechanical jaws slams shut with a tremendous crash! Had Hlalf triggered it while climbing through the traps, he probably would have been killed.

Hlalf and Saal can have fleeting luck for their antics

[Sapperzz]

Does a Thief still get his luck die (d3 for me) when using fleeting luck?

[AureoBuendia]

Aurs Bonne is not keen on letting strangers in precarious situations. If the strangers are serious about meaning no harm, he is willing to aid them for the time being.

"Your current position is precarious and ours is uncertain. May I suggest you come with us at least to a safer one where we can discuss things?

Aurs suggest to Fiemar that we try to pick up the strangers and move to a better place. If, as Fiemar suspects, there may be a cat nearby, they should relocate high to where such an animal would not reach, or at least somewhere high we could see it coming.

He looks around for any high shelf, cabinet, or anything else that may serve that role.

[shaidar]

Shmehk nods

"Agreed, a sensible suggestion. I give you my word I mean no harm"

[drpete]

Does a Thief still get his luck die (d3 for me) when using fleeting luck?

Yup!

It's extra luck, but it's very easy come, easy go. Everyone's fleeing luck goes away if anyone rolls a 1, so don't hoard it!

[drpete]

He looks around for any high shelf, cabinet, or anything else that may serve that role.

There aren't any bookshelves in the 2nd floor hallway. You do remember bookshelves in the study downstairs, and a table in the dining room.

Up here, in addition to the stairs, there are the following exits:
A door to your right (west) as you first come up the stairs from down below, and a door on the opposite wall (east) at the landing at the bottom of the steps going up.

[Marullus]

Fiemar grunts and acquiesces to Aurs' better social grace. Bears are simpler than humans, I think, mulls the outcast outdoorsman. He assists with getting the other two humans up onto the owl.

He bristles at the idea of finding a shelf or place for the sole purpose of spending more time talking, though. "I can deliver you to the floor above and then fetch the other two, or you could check the study if you think it might reveal greater clues," he offers instead.

[Enoch]

Raamiz nods gratefully to Fiemar's suggestion. "We appreciate the assistance--though we had expected a little less company! Though, I suppose, the interest of so many in this house is hardly the most surprising development today. We were, in fact, on our way upstairs at any rate." He peers around curiously as he takes a careful handhold on an owl feather.

[AureoBuendia]

Aurs Bonne

"I'm not thrilled with the study," Aurs considers that the books, furniture, and such will provide many hiding places for a creature to ambush. "But it is the best place to start investigating. My uncle spent most of his time there in his previous residences. Bring us to a defensible position there."

[shaidar]

Shmehk joins the others on the owl, grabbing on tight, but trying not to hurt the owl.

[drpete]

The two adventurers join the nobleman and the white wizard on the back of the giant owl, which takes off into the air.

Shmehk, can you roll a d10 for me, please? (Lower is better)

The plan is to have the owl land in the pitch darkness of the top landing?

[Marullus]

Fiemar Snow-born

As they climb up, Fiemar speaks to them in Low Lankhmarese, his demeanor both efficient and focused, mincing no words. "When coincidence is so surprising, look for the heavy hand of Fate in events," the weathered Northman upon the owl responds to Raamiz. Pausing for Shmehk to also climb up, he then replies to them both. "If the person you seek is here, we shall hope to find them," he offers with a note of compassion, "the events of this night, in this place, turn the fates of many. There is a doom more dire than this meager trap; I intend to discover the greater intentions of this wizard who has stymied us, interceding this night to turn his ill deeds to better ends." He points to the bloody film which covers the windows and doors around them for emphasis. He then nods to indicate Aurs as he continues, "he is nephew to the sorcerer, here seeking his uncle's fate. There is a northman below who seeks to fight ghosts within, likely unwitting of Fate's hand. The third northman who sought to tear up floor-boards to find hidden gold is left unconscious in the alley to be arrested when all of the constables awake with him." He pauses, letting that hang in the air. "I put them all to slumber until the dawn - if we have not solved this riddle and departed before then, time may make choices for us anyway."

If the others don't raise an objection, Fiemar will follow Aur's direction and fly them all back downstairs to the study, dropping them on the desk before going to get Saal and Hlalf.

[shaidar]

Shemhk

The two adventurers join the nobleman and the white wizard on the back of the giant owl, which takes off into the air.

Shmehk, can you roll a d10 for me, please? (Lower is better)

The plan is to have the owl land in the pitch darkness of the top landing?

owl climb roll: [1d10] = 9

If this is a failure, I'll spend luck to correct if possible.

Fiemar Snow-born

As they climb up, Fiemar speaks to them in Low Lankhmarese, his demeanor both efficient and focused, mincing no words. "When coincidence is so surprising, look for the heavy hand of Fate in events," the weathered Northman upon the owl responds to Raamiz. Pausing for Shmehk to also climb up, he then replies to them both. "If the person you seek is here, we shall hope to find them," he offers with a note of compassion, "the events of this night, in this place, turn the fates of many. There is a doom more dire than this meager trap; I intend to discover the greater intentions of this wizard who has stymied us, interceding this night to turn his ill deeds to better ends." He points to the bloody film which covers the windows and doors around them for emphasis. He then nods to indicate Aurs as he continues, "he is nephew to the sorcerer, here seeking his uncle's fate. There is a northman below who seeks to fight ghosts within, likely unwitting of Fate's hand. The third northman who sought to tear up floor-boards to find hidden gold is left unconscious in the alley to be arrested when all of the constables awake with him." He pauses, letting that hang in the air. "I put them all to slumber until the dawn - if we have not solved this riddle and departed before then, time may make choices for us anyway."

If the others don't raise an objection, Fiemar will follow Aur's direction and fly them all back downstairs to the study, dropping them on the desk before going to get Saal and Hlalf.

Shemhk almost shrugs, but decides that it might not be a good idea when clinging onto an owl

"It is your mount and so your decision, but I would point out that if we return downstairs and your mount departs, we will have to climb these stairs the hard way"

[Enoch]

Raamiz does object. "Ahh..." he begins uncertainly. "We were headed away from the ground floor. Would it be possible to drop us off at the second landing?"

[Marullus]

Fiemar agrees to do what, to him, seems the wiser course anyway. He launches the owl into the air, flying up the stairs to the darkened landing at the top.

As they descend, he looks into the pitch darkness ahead and murmurs his incantation in Coldspeak. He reaches into the ether before him and pulls out a translucent mask from nothingness with his fingers, dragging it downward over his face. It melts into his skin, but leaves his eyes glowing faintly, reflective like those of a cat, as he stares intently into the opaque gloom of the room ahead.
Ekim's mask [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12
(He now has 60' infravision. Watching to prevent surprise.)

He has the owl alight at the edge and allow them to climb down. "Do you go here with them, then, or do you still wish to go to the study?" he asks Aurs without looking at him, his gaze still intently ahead.