"Anyone want anything? I was thinking the cloaks might be useful but there can't be many of them left now, unless you feel they might be useful later?"
She would have taken arrows had there been any of suitable quality.
He considered her words and offered his assessment.
"Disguise as bandits? Doubtful it would be effective. They answered to our prisoner, going over his head seems suspicious conduct from them given what we've seen so far. Good thought, but unlikely to be viable as a strategy."
Going by what he overhears, if it is just storage they might as well just lock it up and continue on.
[ooc: prior to the fight with the skeletons, the map shows Inaro and the bugbear in the north prisoner cage. But is the wizard currently out and talking with the rest of us? I'm a bit confused where the two are right now. I suggest leaving the bugbear temporary lock up , and just take the wizard. ]
Dugan, you're right. I confused myself. We'll just say he was let out temporarily. Based on AJ's post, I'll move things along with bugbear and wizard in tow.
Gypsy, I'm going to assume you mean the door to the south.
Inaro
"Those doors lead to a hallway that takes you out. Didn't you come in that way? That's the front entrance. That's where I was trying to go when you caught me."
The Redbrands had established a red brand for themselves, and the cloaks were major part of their identity. So before locking the store cupboard, Chandan ties the cloaks up into a bundle.
This he can hand over to Sildar to destroy. Phandelvin will probably acquire a new bylaw about the wearing of red cloaks.
As always, the wizard's words have to taken with a pinch of salt.
Chandan guessed that the entrance was in the south-east of the hideout, but Inaro was definitely not heading for the south door of the crypt when he was captured. So Chandan huffs and shakes his head.
"You were fleeing from the store room in the north, south along the chasm, to the south-east passage.
"If the south door of the crpyt leads to the exit, you could have fled through it, gaining protection from the skeletons and completely unnoticed by us.
"No wizard, whatever is through the crypt's south door, is not the way out."
He smiles genially to his companions.
"Come. Let us try this second secret door! Secret doors always exciting!"
[Neptune, see the map below from earlier. I think we want to go through the secret door on the west wall of the store room.
"Actually, it is. The two passages meet up," the wizard says.
"That other door is a way into to my private chambers and beyond that into my lab."
The group moves towards the door. After studying the door carefully, Jaliera cannot find a trap. She ushers everyone back in case the door is trapped. Then she conjures her mage hand and opens the door remotely by pushing it in. With one push the door unlatches and opens. She needs to pull the block slab inwards to the storage room but the group can now move in.
The walls of this room are covered with drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings include a small writing desk with a matching chair, a comfortable looking bed, and a wooden chest at the foot of the bed.
ooc: Gypsy, I know you're kind a new to this PC and Jaliera is very similar to Lingo, my PC in Zeim's game. The standard "door" tactic for him is to use is (1) roll perception to "find traps" if there are any (2) Conjure an invisible hand (mage hand legerdemain cantrip) and use it to open the door from a distance. I'll go ahead and move things forward but keep that in your back pocket. If you do an internet search on mage hand legerdemain you'll find lots of DMs complaining about how awesome and powerful that spell is.
[You know if you use a mage hand to whack off, is it still masturbation? Or could you technically be cheating on your spouse? "I never had sexual relations with that arcane force!"]
Chandan
Shuffling along with the others, he grumbles and shakes his head at the wizard.
"Then why you not take that route, instead of running passed us, wizard?
"Ah, here we are!"
Chandan will be first into the room if allowed, scanning around with a scowl and pointed spear.
"Hmm. We should turn the place over. Look for documents."
Iarno simply responds, "Less doors. Closer to the exit. I almost made it."
Chandan starts to look around and since his objective was to look for papers, he looks at the desk. There are various papers and notes stacked neatly there. After leafing through them, he comes upon one letter that is interesting.
His bushy eyebrows twitch as he reads, then he reads it again aloud, for his companions to hear.
It's purely a statement of the obvious, but does reveal something of Iarno's business partner. One of them at least.
Chandan lets the others quiz the vile wizard about where and to whom he was supposed to deliver the map, and what their wicked plans are. The grizzled old monk is more interested in finding accounts of the captives the Redbrands have taken.
She is still unsure as the whether there are ant Redbrands left plus that familiar is still around somewhere, she she draws her bow and takes up a rear guard position outside the room.
He nodded, coldly, as the murderer found something useful, then turned to Iarno.
"Damning evidence, that. Knew we were coming. From the sound of it, your superior is going to be most unhappy with what you have been unable to prevent taking place here, and their wording suggests an inability to take 'I can explain' for an answer. So, your bridges there are so thoroughly burned as to offer you no hope of going back to them. However, if you aid us against them through true information, not only could you keep your own head, we may be able to prevent them taking yours. It's the best chance you're likely to get. Will you take it?"
"Have I not been forthright and forthcoming? Is this not proof that I have had little choice in what goes on here? Why do you think this bugbear came with the other bugbears? They are not here at my request!" Iarno says.
Although he is bound, Mosk, the bugbear with the jeweled eyepatch starts to fume and then tries to charge the wizard.
I'll take initiative rolls if you like otherwise the two will butt heads, literally. There may be more information to gain.
Gypsy, you may want to read the room description more carefully link
Should he get the opportunity, it was his intent to put his armored bulk between the two prisoners, his tone of voice brooking no argument.
"The Wizard's words suggest he wants the easy way out. You will not give it to him, no matter how easily he may manipulate you. Stand down lest I remove your capability to stand."
Still searching, tutting and frowning, he turns grumpily when the bugbear rushes Iarno. He sticks out the butt of his spear to trip the bugbear.
As far as Chandan is concerned, Iarno certainly has a date with a chopping block. But it is important that Sildar speak to the villain himself and learn how far his friend has fallen into evil. (Then maybe Sildar will chop Iarno's head off?)
In the meantime, the old monk does what he can to prevent the wizard's head from being smashed in.
He is not prepared to get in-between the charging bugbear and the wizard. Stepping aside, he will wait to see if either speaks up against the other in perhaps more will be revealed as to the 'business relationship' Iarno claims to have.
Mosk drops his head and charges like a bull. It was a futile act, but not one that should surprise anyone. Mosk was a bugbear and they were not known for either their intelligence or their calm demeanor. The wizard puts all his efforts into sidestepping the raging humanoid. That dodge is made easier because their captors try to intervene and the bugbear misses the tackle and Iarno takes cover behind Kriv as Mosk roars in frustration, spittle splashing from his mouth. He tries to steady himself for for another attack.
She whispers a quiet word and steps between Mosk and Iarno. Her shadow grows longer, her eyes begin to glow with an angry red glare and her voice takes on an unearthly echo. At the same time the doors to the room bang open and closed.
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