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***Mukuli, Thief, Y'Mataar..Courtyard of Templar House ***

Greeting the others, with a nod and a smile, as they enter the gates, Mukuli than tends to dog and man which rest on the dirt. Dragging them both to far left of the wall and placing them within the shadows he makes sure they are tied up securely...legs and mouths.

Returning to the others, "now lets see how we can get in this place. We need to examine the outside of the House of the Tempar to better get an idea where to enter and for any other information that might come handy. I will go right and one of you need to cover the left side. The two of us will than meet in the rear of the house before heading back to the front and report our finding to the others."

Dogma wrote:"Someone will need to drag them into the shadows. It will not do to leave them out for all to see."

Arngrim grabs the man and dog with one hand each and drags them to some shadowy spot in the yard, away from doors, windows, and views from the street.

"I can take one side of the house" Sargon volunteers. "The sooner we get this done the sooner we can get out of here."

He will carefully but efficiently examine the outside of the house, checking for any other guards or possible entry points. He will also keep his eyes open for any footprints or signs of other occupants.

***Mukuli, Thief, Y'Mataar..Courtyard of Templar House ***

Nodding in agreement with Sargon, Mukuli heads around the right side of the house. Staying in shadows and being as quiet as possible.

Ari-nasir eyed his companions as the plan came together. He looked at the door to the house and was confident that either his skill or Arngrim's strength would be able to reduce it as an obstacle. The thief then coiled up the rope and grappling hook and hung it from his belt. Should he or his companions need another way out he was loath to rely on the fact that the gate would still be clear when they needed it.

As Mukuli and Sargon pad silently around the side of the house it quickly becomes apparent that there are no more guards outside at least, though judging by the light coming from the windows it would appear that the house is indeed occupied by someone. It appears that in addition to the front door, there is a servants entrance in the back, as well as 3 windows onto the first floor that would be easily accessible.

***Mukuli, Thief, Y'Mataar..Courtyard of Templar House ***

Making his way back to the rest of the party, Mukuli tells them what he saw. "I say our best way into this place is the back door. I bought these tools, pulling out a thieves kit from his backpack, awhile back when in the market.

Reaching over and taking the rope with the attached grapple hook from Ari-nasir, "I'll take those back now. Never know when I will be needing them again."

Ptah-Kahtmak will limp along as quietly as possible to whichever entrace the others choose to use. It makes no matter to him and he will leave such decisions to those more familiar with the business of breaking and entering.

Ari-nasir shrugged, "makes no difference to me." It was uncertain whether he was commenting on the rope, the way of entry into the house or both. In the shadows the thief had bound his arms and legs so that the billowy nature of his clothes would not snag or catch on anything.

"Let us be about our errand then good friends."

As you creep around the house towards the servants entrance the silence of the garden contrasts with the low rumbling cheers you hear from the arena. The games are still in full swing and should be continuing for several more hours at least. The air is thickly perfumed with the scent of citrus flowers, and your mind reels at the difficulty and expense required to maintain such an oasis in this parched land.

Drawing up to the door, Mukuli bends over to examine the latch. It appears to be a simple catch, likely barred from the inside, but you should be able to gain access without great difficulty. As Mulkuli concentrates on the door Sargon and Ari-Nasir both notice something deeply unsettling, something neither of you haven't ever actually seen before... at least not in this state. Carved into the sandstone above the door is a Bas Relief depiction of Nythura Daldrax.
What makes it so disturbing, is that unlike every other depiction of the former Sorcerer Queen that you have seen, her features have not been struck out. Most Vuleese do everything they can to distance themselves from the Mad Queen, but this Templar appears to have no such compunction. There are rumors that remnants of her former cult survive, but to actually see an icon of her in plain view is disconcerting to say the least.

Ari-nasir quickly touches his brow, his mouth, and his heart and tosses his hand into the air as a ward against evil spirits. His other hand quickly goes to rest on his dagger by his side.

This is no simple burgle my friends. We have stumbled into something far more dangerous.

He then looked at his friend Arngrim and then back to the icon. His momentary fear passed, this was a rare sight and rare meant valuable. The thief examined the icon closer to see how it was affixed and to gage its weight.

Unfortunately for your purse, it seems to be carved into the keystone that makes up the arch of the doorway. Short of disassembling the wall itself, it is impossible to remove the carving. Most homes in Vuul still have similar carvings above their doors, as Nythura Daldrax made a point of portraying herself as a protector of homes and hearths but every other one you've seen has had, at the very least, her face chiseled out.

With a shrug the brown skinned thief waited for the door to be opened or for his own skills to be called upon.

***Mukuli, Thief, Y'Mataar..Courtyard of Templar House ***

Working his thieves tools, gathered from his pack, Mukuli tries to unlock the door. "Damn, that bolt slipped! Let me try again."

Ari-nasir observed the thief and noted that on this door he could do no better.

I got a nine as well

Perhaps we should try a window?

Seeing the difficulty Ari-nasir and Mukuli are having with the lock, Sargon will backtrack to the nearest window and examine it for traps and then attempt to have a look inside.

Arngrim keeps watch while the others work.

The nearest window appears to be a small opening left in the stone to allow light into the kitchen. It's large enough that a small person could likely wiggle through, but there is a cast iron bar running vertically down the middle. Mukuli's thieves tools have a small file in them that would be able to cut through the soft iron, but it will take some time.

Sargon will check the other 2 windows to determine which one would allow the easiest access to the house. As with the first window he will examine them for traps, etc.

***Mukuli, Thief, Y'Mataar..Courtyard of Templar House ***

Becoming a little frustrated with his attempt to open the lock, Mukuli relaxes and tries one more time. "Come on door open!"