While the party waits, Aubric steps forward, placing a hand on Kriv's shoulder and uttering a few words to his diety, praying for Guidance in the upcoming conversation before stepping back. He will repeat this each minute until the interaction begins.
(OOC: 1d4 to one of Kriv's ability checks which can be rolled after the check to plus it up. Concentration, 1 minute.)
The wait was longer than one would like, perhaps several minutes but then those that are patient and attentive can hear the heavy footsteps of the castellan approach. Then there's the sound of the bar being raised and the door creaking open.
"Alright. Yer wanna speak to the lords? Follow me.
He leads you into the building waiting for all to enter before barring the door again. You've entered an unlit (40' x 30') vestibule. On the walls to either side of the 20' wide double doors are decorative shields that face two statues of cloaked figures that are on opposite sides of another set of 20' wide double doors. That set of doors is open allowing you to see that room too. From what you can see that is a larger room that is lit by two torch sconces. It's a 60' x 60' chamber fashioned like a cut diamond. In that room stand two sets of armor next to the two other doors, which are closed, in this room. Spider webs stretch between the suits of armor.
OOC: With Pande overwhelmed and Aquadyne off to Disney, I'm inclined to pause until one of them raises their hand and says that they're back. Thoughts?
The quartet follows the castellan past the first two rooms and then turning left into a torch-lit hallway of the keep. The four torches along the way barely brighten the hall which is over a hundred feet long. You pass several closed five foot wide doors to your right and one to the left and finally you stop before a very large, twenty foot wide, set of double doors.
Before he opens the door, Amrath stops and turns to the foursome. "D'ya want to leave weapons out here? Nobody's gonna touch them 'ere."
She shrugs. That means nothing to her as she rarely ever uses the weapons she carries, and she knows Kriv can call his weapon at need, so she takes off her sword and bow and leans there where indicated.
With a wordless nod, Kriv divests himself of his armaments, bonded items included. He noted the phrasing used, a request rather than an explicit requirement or obligation, but coupled with an assertion of trust.
Amrath notes that the foursome complied with the request and with that he pushes both ten foot wide doors open. Flickering torchlight spills into the chamber beyond and he ushers you inside.
The room is a very large dining hall (60' wide 90' long). You are entering what would be the north wall. A torch burns to either side of you on that north wall. You realize as you look around that the room is not perfectly rectangular. The west wall angles westward a bit starting 25 feet south of the northern wall making the length of the north wall actually 70' wide. In that nook lies a bearskin rug, the head of the bear faces inward to the room from the northeast corner. Further south on that western wall are two windows, both boarded up. The head of a buck is mounted between the windows. In the south wall is a set of double doors like the ones you entered through but they are not directly opposite you, they are several 10' further west. Like the doors you came through, these double doors are flanked by torches. Fire crackles to your left on the eastern wall from a stone fireplace. Another pair of large, closed, double doors is in the south of that eastern wall. There is another, smaller door north of the fireplace.
In floor of the room is criss-crossed by two long rugs. You are standing at the northernmost edge of one rug. It leads towards a large oak dining table that has three high-backed chairs on either side of it. The table is set with dinnerware that sits atop an earthen colored woven table cloth.
This room would resemble a Lord's opulent dining hall, were it not for the inches of dust coating the floor and table, and the cobwebs stretching from the northwest and southwest corners, draping the china and silverware.
Sitting at the table are two middle aged men. They are dressed finely, both wearing robes. They are both sitting on the west side of the table as the dwarven castellan leads you to the other side of the table. The men neither rise to greet you nor offer you a seat at the table.
The man to the left starts speaking softly to you, "Are you here for a hunt?"
Last edited by Neptune; Sun 02/11/202522:24 UTC. Reason: Added a visual aid
As she'd agreed this was Kriv's show for now, she follows quietly observing closely what she can see. She notes the dust and cobwebs on the table and place settings, indicating they are for show and have not been used in many years. More support for the undead theory.
The Dragonborn observed courtly protocol in how he conducted himself, conforming to the established etiquette of the nobility in his comportment, demeanour and action, in particular in relation to the seating. Likewise, as he answered the direct question.
"In a wider sense, perhaps. As you may well be aware, the giants have been making significant moves of late, and we find ourselves in opposition to them. Lord Erto Grym's prior associations are known to me, with a common thread in seeking to prevent what the giants are trying to achieve. As a matter of potential mutual interest, I thought it prudent to seek counsel here."
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