IC - Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Chapter 1: The Darkness in Orlane

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

"I looked around the outside of this place earlier when people were dealing with the blacksmith. All the portals I saw were boarded up." Aldan says, gesturing for the big man to proceed.

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 13

Tyragorn pushed the crowbar into the door frame and pulled, then stumbled back as he prepared for a reaction from anything that might be inside.

Strength check: 2#1d20+3 7 9 With advantage that's a 9

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

Feeling a little embarrassed on behalf of the big, armored man Aldan coughs. "Old boards must be swollen from the weather."

[Arkrite]

The boards around the outside of the door don't even move, but as Tyragorn puts some muscle into it he accidentally bumps one of the boards closer to the middle, revealing it to be quite loose.
In fact as the Paladin looks closer he notices that most of the boards in the center don't have a bottom nail, and appears to have been wedge into place with some dirt to keep them from moving in the wind. A quick examination reveals that there's enough lose boards that all of you could get in without having to pry the boards off, if you wanted to enter in a quieter fashion, though you would need to duck down.

[Tattooedman]

Zasio Blackthorn:
Objects of Interest: Goodberries (2 - each heals 4 hp)

"It seems we are not the first to break into this place." Zasio says as he quietly moves the loose boards so everyone can enter the "closed" building. He draws one of his short swords and moves to go first through the opening, adding another comment. "Might as well be ready for any trouble that might be inside."

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

"The goblins had to get in somehow." Aldan says being second into the building but stepping to the side to cover the room as others ingressed.

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 13

Tyragorn followed the others in, thinking they should have let him go first. He could at least have led the way with his shield, in case there were goblins inside.

[Arkrite]

The air inside the tavern is stale, and musky. Even with the boards in place there is enough light filtering through to allow everyone to see.

You are in the main room of the tavern, where at one time the fire burned in the hearth, there were tables and chairs filled with patrons, and a bar with a series of stools where visitors might relax.
Now the room is quite different.

Tables have been knocked over, and some show signs of being hit with something sharp. The chairs and stools are missing, the bar looks like somebody took an axe to it, and through the dust you can see occasional dark stains on the floor, and dark specks on walls.

Nothing moves in the room, and the silence lays heavy on you.

The floor shows signs that something has been using the area, a trail leads back towards the kitchen, and to an open cellar door from which a swampy smell exudes.

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

The paranoid elf makes sure to look up and check the ceiling to avoid large spiders dropping on them unexpectedly. If he sees nothing he'll nod toward the cellar door and follow behind and to the side of anyone who wants to go first, arrow knocked.

[stavaros_the_arcane]

Georgia Fiddler

Georgia looks closely at the stains and flecks around the room. She already has strong suspicions about what they were.

OOC: Investigation Check 1d20+3: 9

"We have multiple trails, I suggest we take a gander at everything on this level before we look down in the cellar. No sense leaving something unknown at our back." She moves towards the kitchen to take a peek.

[Shock]

Tyragorn
HP: 13

Tyragorn looked around. "This is probably the most room we'll have in the place. Why not make some noise and see if anything comes out where we'll have room to fight?"

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

"If the thing that comes out flies then we've just made things more difficult for ourselves, but I suppose it's a gamble either way." Aldan says quietly.

"Georgia, any illusory noises you can make to lure something out? Wounded animal sounds might draw hungry goblins or other predators."

[Arkrite]

Aldan's look at the ceiling reveals only a couple of common garden spiders sitting in webs up in the rafters of the common room, the largest of which is the size of Aldan's thumb nail.
The common room itself has bare rafters and braces, giving it a more open feeling, but while a person might awkwardly move around up there it would be to tight of an area for any winged opponents larger than a bird to maneuver.
There is no signs of any living creatures in the rafters.

The kitchen has seen better days. Across the floor shards of pottery litter the floor, likely the remains of some mugs or even some of the nicer plates. Littering the room are a few pans, a couple pots, but a quick look reveals that there is no small items made of wood remaining. All of the plates, spoons, and mugs that might have been carved wood are missing. There are also few knives, and the pantry appears to have been scavenged, leaving only some old rotting vegetables behind.
The footsteps in the kitchen itself seem old, the only new ones lead down the stairs into the cellar. At the moment there is no sound coming up from the bottom, and there doesn't appear to be any lights below.

[Flynnarrel]

Aldan

"Given the goblins' deep and abiding commitment to my personal injury I think I'd rather be up there if we're going to be luring them out. Any objections?" he asks.

If no objections, he loops bow over a shoulder and takes the oil flask from his spectral hand. Using it inside an old wooden building was probably not a good idea anyway. He directs the hand instead to bear a grappling hook and rope up to a sturdy looking beam above with good view of the cellar entrance and floor and he'll climb up to perch on the beam, straddling it to grip with his legs. Elves are (probably) trained to shoot from tree limbs, this wasn't much different. He redraws his bow, knocks arrow and signals he's ready for whatever.

[stavaros_the_arcane]

The kitchen has seen better days. Across the floor shards of pottery litter the floor, likely the remains of some mugs or even some of the nicer plates. Littering the room are a few pans, a couple pots, but a quick look reveals that there is no small items made of wood remaining. All of the plates, spoons, and mugs that might have been carved wood are missing. There are also few knives, and the pantry appears to have been scavenged, leaving only some old rotting vegetables behind.
The footsteps in the kitchen itself seem old, the only new ones lead down the stairs into the cellar. At the moment there is no sound coming up from the bottom, and there doesn't appear to be any lights below.

Georgia grabs any intact knives left in the kitchen during her sweep. "Looks like the Kitchen's clear. The place has been ransacked; they swiped a bunch of food and wooden stuff, then broke most of the rest. The tracks there are old though so they probably did it a while back and then ignored the room."

Aldan

"If the thing that comes out flies then we've just made things more difficult for ourselves, but I suppose it's a gamble either way." Aldan says quietly.

"Georgia, any illusory noises you can make to lure something out? Wounded animal sounds might draw hungry goblins or other predators."

Georgia gives Aldan a nod. "Can do. let me just clear my throat." She focuses her magical energies around her throat and then threw her voice to make the sound of a dying animal.

OOC: Thaumaturgy to make the sound of a dying giraffe.