Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

[nikolokolus]

Rhenmyr turns his back to the door and lifts the hand mirror to catch its reflection. The door appears unchanged - a stout, slightly warped bronze door about 2 feet high and semi-circular in shape.

 

[Grimgravy]

"The door doesn't look magical. Who wants to try opening the door and who wants to be ready to kill anything hostile on the other side. I'll do either."

OOC

Lets's have Borric sense danger just before we try to open the door, just to be safe.

 

[nikolokolus]

OOC

Roll it up. d20 vs. 14 or higher

 

[Grimgravy]

Borric's Danger Sense: [1d20] = 3

 

[nikolokolus]

Borric kneels next to the door and places his ear close up to it as he closes his eyes and furrows his brows in concentration for several minutes. Eventually he rises and shakes his head, before speaking in his thick Kurgan accent. "I hear nothing! But is damndest thing and most strange. Door very warm . . ."

The dog stands back a few paces with its hackles up and whinges.

 

[Grimgravy]

"Ok. Perhaps we've found the source of the fire. Given Borric's and friend dog's reaction, the Lets NOT open it."

 

[nikolokolus]

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Grimgravy]

OOC

I'll wait for the others to chime in, but I'm not going to be be anywhere near that door if it opens. I can take a hint!

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"If we aren't going in that room, maybe we should attempt to barricade it. We wouldn't want something to leave the room and catch us unprepared. Although, if something was in there, don't you think it would have decided to see what all of the racket is when we fought the giant lice?"

 

[Helly]

"For now, I say we'd better explore the rest of the building. Maybe we can find info on what's in here and learn how to defeat it."

 

[Siveon]

"Or maybe it's Master Ghul burning at the stake, helpless, while we leave him to suffer." Marcán says in a sarcastic tone.

 

[Helly]

"Then all the more reason to let him burn while we loot his place! I jest, but I would like to trust our magical dog's instinct in *not* opening this room. For now."

 

[Siveon]

"Fair enough. Let's try the spiral door next, I'd rather save the ominous basement for last."

 

[Grimgravy]

OOC

If I remember correctly, the warm door is barred or wedged in place needing a die roll to open.

"Up we go then? I'll scout the way. Bar the door if you like."

Rhenmyr ascends the stairs to the second floor, testing each step with the spear butt before stepping on it.

 

[nikolokolus]

The stairs hug the curved wall and ascend into the dark, but with the light provided by lit torch, lantern, and the makeshift, ichor drenched lights casting their witchy glow, the way is clearly lit. The stairs are dusty and prove to be stable as you tap each step with the butt of your spear. After about 20 steps or so, you poke your head above the lip formed the second floor and find yourselves in quarter-circular room.

The room appears to be a dining area with a several small tables set against the wall just behind the stairs and longer table set perpendicular against the far wall on the right. A cabinet stands a few feet from the stairwell along the tower's outer wall with pitchers, bottles and decanters set atop it - many of which have been toppled and their contents spilled. Furthermore, several of the chairs next to the long dining table are knocked over and the smell of spoiled food hangs faintly in the air.

As you continue to Look about you spy two doors; the one to your immediate left is slightly ajar (Cormac remembers that room as the guest quarters where you bunked) while the door set into the interior wall is shut (beyond which was a study, a kitchen and a pantry to the best of your recollection).

 

[Grimgravy]

"Suggestions?" Rhenmyr asks while checking the intact containers in the cabinet.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

"We should check the guest quarters where we stayed. I want to see if we find more sign of my fellow priests."

 

[Helly]

Ker sniffs the various non-spilled liquid containers to identify their original contents, looking for anything magical.

 

[nikolokolus]

Ker's quick investigation of the cabinet reveals a variety of liqueurs, a clay decanter laying over on its side (and a considerable wine stain on the cabinet's top and down the front) and some fine crystal bottles filled with, yellow orangish-gold, and dark brown liquids. You open several stoppered phials and put your nose to the opening and while some smell exotic, it's impossible to say if any of them are magical without actually sampling them or exploring their nature with some sort of divination or spell.

 

[Grimgravy]

Rhenmyr takes a swig from whichever liqueur smells best, fill his flask from the bottle, and then passes the bottle to Borric. (He was checking the bottles as well after all)
"Hmm. Which door to the guest quarters Cormac?" When he gets a response, Rhenmyr cautiously moves to the door and listens for movement from the other side.

 

[Llywelyn ap Gruffydd]

Cormac points to the door to the left. "It's that one. I hope we can figure out what happened to the priest and other acolyte."

 

[nikolokolus]

OCC

I'll post an updated map later tonight if needed. In the meantime ...

The door to the left is slightly ajar and as Cormac walks toward it you can't help but notice a smell of putrefaction that rises (heavily mingled as it is with the burned smells that dominate the entire tower). Pushing on the door it swings inward and reveals a grisly sigth; a desiccated corpse in a tattered robe lies sprawled at an awkward angle on the edge of a bed. The rest of the room looks like it's been spared of flame much like the other room on this floor - but covered with sooty ash.

 

[Grimgravy]

"One of your group, Cormac? Where did the ash come from? This room and the body aren't burnt." Rhenmyr looks at the guest quarters through the mirror.

 

[Helly]

"Darn, that smell... Could there have been two of them, with one burned to ashes and the other dried from inside? No, I don't really see that happening, unless some powerful magic was at work here..."

 

[Grimgravy]

"The ticks we killed downstairs may be responsible for the dry corpse. I think you're correct Ker, the fire below seemed rampant. I doubt a fire here would burn one body and nothing else."