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"The attic?" Athena queries. "What is it?" She asks, not wanting to volunteer for something without knowing what it is.

The bar-keep slides up a stool and sits down, and it is clear that he is at least slightly intoxicated. "It's just a thing that I need up there... Please, it means a lot to me," he says. "Can one of you go with me?"

"Yes, I can almost taste it already," Marcus says, as he lowers the cut of meat back into its salt barrel. "But as with everything, it should wait until we have our gear. We don't need these things slowing us down right now." Let's just hope no one decides to feast on it before we make it back to this building.

With the storage area fully checked, Marcus decides to follow after the watchman and the girl into the next room, motioning for Weasel to follow the woodsman up the staircase.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

What do I see? Same as the others?

Hm. Elene thinks, picking up the fire poker. This'll be helpful. Tucking the poker into her belt, she heads back to the main area, whispering an all-clear to Cassia and Marcus as she passes by.

Back in the main room, Elene creeps up the stairs behind Redros, sticking to the sides as much as possible in an attempt to avoid the near-inevitable creaking that comes from walking in the center. As she reaches him, she pauses behind, unsure if she should continue or not. "Anythin'?" she whispers to him, making a small gesture at the door.

Redros slowly and carefully pushes the door open a crack, bending down in front of it and looking into the room, slowly moving the door as he looks, careful not to open it too far and reveal himself to anything on the other side. He doesn't want to be ambushed now...

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception: 20(1d20) +9 = 29
Stealth Check: 19(1d20) +8 = 27

With the all-clear from the girl coming immediately after he steps through the doorway, Marcus quickly returns to the previous room and looks around for a moment, not sure what to do with himself. "Just going to stand there, then, princess?" he asks, approaching the young woman.

Cassia steps back into the storage room with Marcus. "The living room had a door in the far side, it looks like," she says to him as she looks up the stairs to where Redros is opening the door. "Might lead to the foyer or something."

Redros slowly opens the door and it creaks minimally under his careful touch. He and Elene notice the window in the far wall, letting a small stream of moon-light in that outlines the contents of the room easily. Judging by the bed, armoire, and desk, it looks to be a bedroom, but probably not the master.

"Hm, the girl must have missed it," Marcus replies. He walks back towards the door leading into the living quarters, before turning back to Cassia. "Shall we?" he says, before heading through. You would think she'd pay more attention to other doors before declaring a room all clear.

"I'll come... If you tell me what it is first," Athena says to the innkeep, now just curious about what the man wanted.

"Sure. I almost missed it too, with how dark this place is. We'll need to get some torches or candles if we want to safely explore these--" Cassia is interrupted by sound of moaning coming from outside the house. "Everybody quiet!" she whispers. Weasel presses his ear against the door, listening for a moment. "The creeps are just on the other side, sounds like. Guess we're not getting out this way. Shame."

Back at the Gilded Mare, the tavern-keeper raises his hand to his face, rubbing his forehead for a moment. He squints through pained eyes at Athena, before speaking. "No... Forget it. It's not important now," he says, his tone changed to a more controlled one. The survivors turn their heads as Bessia, the little girl, cries out in terror by the door. A ghastly hand is reaching in, futilely trying to grab at her. "I was only trying to look!" she manages through sobs. Bastia lumbers down the steps from the second floor as Isdren runs over from the hearth in the corner. "Get her away from that damned door!" the young woman cries from the staircase at Isdren, Jozanta behind her with a look of worry.

Athena raises an eyebrow and eyes the inkeeper suspiciously after he so quickly changed his mind, however she is quickly distracted by the commotion. Athena strides over to the door, pulling out her knife. She grabs Bessia by the shoulder, pulling her back, and slashes at the hand with her knife.

Isdren grabs his younger sister by the arm and pulls here away from the door with help from Athena. The woman slashes at the arm with her blade, cutting deeply into the decaying flesh of the creatures and only stopping at the bone, nicking it. You hear the monster grunt in frustration and fury as it tries to grab at her leg.

"You can't cut through bone with that kitchen knife," Guthrik warns. "Stomp its arm, then!" Smock calls over rather loudly, and Burtin gives him a snappy look. "Quiet down! We were probably too loquacious in the first place. That's why that thing's here, most likely."

Athena

[SHOW]

Make an acrobatics check.

As the creature grabs at Athena, she quickly tries to dart backwards out of its reach.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Acrobatics roll: 17(1d20) +10 = 27

Athena is able to quickly step back, leaving the hand to grasp at thin air futilely. Guthrik steps over with his walking staff in hand, eyeing it curiously. "The brigand's right. Want me to do the honors?" he asks, motioning to his thick hide boots.

Liviana scoffs at the woodsman's remark. What does he know? How to identify poisonous plants, maybe, but he knows nothing about how the real world works.

"Pardon me for taking a rest," Liviana responds to Marcus. "A man just tried to kill us with fire, for the gods' sake. I deserve a few moments to regain myself." If only the ship had departed yesterday. I'd safety be in Imardin right now...

Walking into the other living room, the princess pauses as the guardswoman whispers her command. Whispering, she says, "Well that's just great. I guess we'll need an altered route then."

"Knock yourself out," Athena says stepping back from the door. I hope she didn't attract too many of them out there, she thinks, looking at the hand grasping through the door.

"Well all the more reason to check that other door, then," Marcus adds, looking about for a light source. "If it leads out of here then we should be set, assuming none of those things are out there too."

Spurred on by the news of the creatures being right outside the door, Elene ducks underneath Redros and slips through the door. Moving quietly around the room, she checks carefully for threats and alternate entrances, chastising herself for the slip downstairs. Damn, I should'a done better than that, those things outside have me spooked. An' me making a rookie mistake like that? Pull yourself together!

Taking a second pass around the room, she once again searches for anything useful or important looking.

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Stealth check: 23
Perception check: 21

Layout of the room? Any other windows or doors? What's directly outside the window?

In the item search, what's in the armoire? What's in the desk? If so, is there anything like a letter knife on/in it? Are there any other big pieces of furniture that can store stuff in the room? What's in them?

Did I do better at questions? :P

Marcus finds a spare candlestick in a cubby by the wall-sconce, lighting it and stepping into the living room alongside Liviana, Cassia, and Weasel. The room is better illuminated now and the three of you take stock of the surroundings.

A few bookshelves line the walls. The floor is covered by a couple rugs, one of them looking to be a skin of some type of animal. The hearth is decently large, and there is a stack of wood next to it as well as several pieces of cooking equipment. In front of it, there are two large chairs that look moderately comfortable and a low, wooden bench. It looks like a pretty standard living room, and in the far wall there is a nondescript wooden door set into the wall that is closed.

Redros and Elene step into the bedroom above the storage room, looking around it for anything of interest. Despite the moon-light being the only thing giving vision, your eyes quickly adjust and you can tell that the room is narrow and rectangular shaped. The door you entered in is matched by another door on the same wall but the other end of the room, to the left. The window is in the center of the wall opposite you and you can see the wall of the adjacent building within a few feet of its view.

Judging by the narrow, smaller bed and the toys strewn around the room, you get the idea that a child lived in this room. The clothes in the armoire confirm your suspicions, as you find various outfits for a young child, probably somewhere around six to ten years old. The desk looks to have a few books on it and some writing utensils as well as parchment. There is a toybox as well as a few shelves, the latter of which hold more books and a few ornaments. The furniture is pushed against the edges of the room so as to allow a decent space in the middle, where there is a soft rug.

In the Gilded Mare, Guthrik raises his heavy boot and stomps down on the arm of the creature, snapping it completely off at the forearm. Athena and the others hear a frustrated grunt from the creature as it slips from the hole and falls face-down on the steps. "I really don't know how well this tavern's going to hold up from these damned things. They seem to be drawn to us no matter how quiet or careful we strive to be," the orc says, shaking his head in a disappointed fashion.

Redros looks about the room, then sighs, shaking his head. At least this room is not the scene of a gory end for a child he thinks, but all the same, no child should be put through such horrors.
"Urchin. Do you think the child that lived here is still alive? Waiting for her family in one of the rooms?"

"We could probably bring some of that wood back to the inn on our way back. Who knows how much we have, and it'd be awful if we ran out," Liviana says, noticing the stack of firewood next to the hearth. "Now what could be behind this door?" The princess walks over to the closed door and presses her ear up against it, attempting to hear if anything may be within.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to hear stuff in closed room: 18(1d20) +10 = 28

Or we could just relocate here, Marcus thinks to himself as the number of useful things in this building, and others nearby, continues to increase with every new find. "Perhaps," he responds to the princess, watching her attempt to listen through the door.

Liviana

[SHOW]

You don't hear anything coming from the other side of the door.

"Firewood is always needed. The Mare has a decent sized hearth that can heat the building up well," Cassia notes. "But that's not important right now, Princess. We've got those walkers swarming the alley behind us." Weasel pipes up: "Right, can't lug wood if we're goners, heh." He steps up behind Liviana. "Hear any of the creeps, yer Highness?" he asks.

Elene rolls her eyes at Redros' question before turning to examine the ornaments scattered around the room. "Only way t' find that out is t' find the squealer." She says simply. "Course, it may not ev'n be in the buildin'."

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Do any of these ornaments have pointy bits that I could break off and use for lock picks?

Redros watches the urchin move about the room and nods. There really is only one way to find out he supposes. He walks to the door on the left end of the room and grips the handle, listening carefully, not wanting to be caught off guard by something on the other side of the door. He carefully turns the knob to see if it's locked.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Stealth Check in case something is on the other side of the door: 7(1d20) +8 = 15
Perception Check to listen for anything on the other side of the door: 12(1d20) +9 = 21

Not hearing any sounds from beyond the other side of the door, Liviana slowly cracks open the door, careful not to draw any attention if anything is residing from within. Once opened enough, she peeks through the crack and scans the room for whatever it holds.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to see what's in room: 9(1d20) +10 = 19

Stealth to be quiet about it: 20(1d20) +2 = 22 Noice

"Maybe you're right about fortifying it then," Athena says. "We might as well do something productive while the others are still gone," she adds, looking around the room. "We could probably break down some of the furniture into planks, that should work better than our makeshift barricade."

Liviana cracks the door quietly, noticing that the adjacent room seems to be the foyer. She sees the front door, with shuttered windows flanking either side of it in front of her, as well as a staircase to the second floor on her left and another door to her right.

Redros feels the door-knob, and it doesn't seem to be locked. He cannot hear anything from the other side of the door.

Back in the Gilded Mare, Drozga steps over, prodding the snapped zombie arm with his boot in veiled interest. "I'd rather not smash up the pieces I've got out here in the lobby, miss. There's a supply closet I have in the hall that has a good amount of replacement furniture. Some seasons we need the extra seating when the cold holidays set in and there are huge feasts here." He sighs. "I guess we'll use that first," he agrees.

"This room seems to be the foyer. I don't see any of the creatures in there," Liviana says to the others. "There's the front door, another set of stairs, and another door in there," she adds before opening the door more. Walking into the room, the princess says, "I guess we'll have to leave this way as long as the back is inaccessible."

Seeing nothing else immediately useful, Elene begins trying to wrench the sword off of the knight figurine. Hope this thing comes apart easy. Still wishin' I hadn't left my tools back at base. she thinks bitterly, thoughts drifting back to her guild. I hope they're safe.

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Strength check: 17

Redros opens the door, wondering what could be behind it.

With the way now clear to move further inward, Marcus follows the princess into the foyer. "Keep an eye on the stairs," he says to the others, primarily Weasel and Cassia, as he steps towards the non-front door. "I'm going to take a peek in here." He places his hand on the door once he's approached, rummages through his things for his listening cone, and attempts to listen into the room.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to listen through door with listening cone: 10

"Well let's get to it I guess," Athena says walking towards the hall with the supply closet.

Elene

[SHOW]

You are unable to wrench the sword off from the figurine with your bare hands. The metal doesn't feel as strong as steel, however, and the thought of hitting it against the ground outside or a heavy piece of furniture might do the trick.

Redros

[SHOW]

You open the door slowly. Because of the already-dim conditions in the bedroom, without a light source you are unable to see anything save for the first few feet of wood flooring and the beginning of a rug.

Marcus

[SHOW]

You hear nothing from the other side of the door.

Athena

[SHOW]

Guthrik and Drozga come up to the hall with you as you find the storage closet close to the end, by the ladder up to the roof. The tavern-keeper unlocks it carefully, opening the door. "There we are," he says as he points out the dozen stools, as well as a few tables on their sides, placed against the wall. Guthrik begins moving some of them out of the closet.

Frustrated by the unyielding metal, Elene walks over to the armoire and thunks the figurine against a corner of it, attempting to break off the sword arm. Damn thing. Come off!

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Do I need a Strength check? If so: 16

With no sounds audible through the door, Marcus decides to check the handle to see if it is locked.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

This locked?

Elene manages to break a piece off of the figurine, leaving a five-or-so inch fragment of an arm holding a broadsword. Hearing the thump, Weasel steps up the stairs from the stock-room, bringing a candle. "Ah, thought a biter got you or sommat," he says with a smile as he lights up the room a bit. "Looks like you could use a bit'a light there, woodsman."

Downstairs, Marcus opens the door to reveal a musty, small closet with a broom, a bucket of rags, and what looks to be a dented armoire. Cassia peeks out the windows carefully. "There's a few of the walkers out there, but they haven't seen us in here yet. We should keep quiet and move slowly," she advises.

I suppose helping will at least pass the time. Athena begins to help Guthrik moving the stools out of the storage closet. Once a few are out she takes one through to the main room. "Any ideas for defences yet?" She asks Burtin.

Marcus nods in acknowledgement to Cassia's words, before carefully and slowly opening the armoire to peek at its contents.

Quickly pocketing the little sword, Elene tosses the statuette onto the bed. "If there was a biter up here, I'm not like to get bit by one o' them. He's more likely." She says, gesturing to Redros before sidling up behind the man, curious as to what's beyond the next door. "Speakin' of. What's to see?"

MECHANICS

[SHOW]

Perception to see things in the next room: 18
Layout, what furniture, exits...

Redros turns to the urchin and shakes his head.
"My eyes are not as good as they once were, nothing save for a few floor boards. Do you happen to have a light source?"

"I got one right here, silly. Here," Weasel says with a raised eyebrow as he steps closer to the door with the candle so you can all see through. It looks to be a dining area, with a door in the far wall and a door to the right.

Marcus peeks inside what cabinets he can, finding nothing. "Looks like it's just in here for storage. It's pretty beat up," Cassia assumes.

Back in the Mare, Guthrik and Athena manage to bring down the tables and stools to the main lobby, where some of the others gather around. Burtin looks quizically at them. "Well, we can probably barricade off the front door pretty well. That'd leave only the roof for entry and exit, which could be a good thing or a bad thing," he surmises. "We'd be trapped if the walkers got to the roof," Isdren offers. "Well, we've got food and some supplies in case that happens," Bastia says.

"The creatures don't seem too agile so the roof might be a good idea," Athena says, thinking about Burtin's suggestion. "We should probably wait to see if the others come back before barricading up the door though," she adds, wondering whether the expedition is still alive.

"An odd place to keep one," he muses aloud in response to Cassia's comments. "Either way, there is not much useful in here. We should head back into the storage room we were in before." With that he moves back out and towards the first door he'd passed through.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Stealth, if needed: 10

Redros looks about the room, thinking at it's design.
"Interesting. So the living quarters are above the shop, rather in their own separate building? I should take note of this design, it may make my own home more secure when I return."

"Yeh, what makes you think this place is a shop, woodsman? Think it's just some poor sod's house," Weasel says with a raised eyebrow. "Wonder what kinna strange mushrooms our pal here's got, eh?" he mumbles to the scamp with a smirk.

"I'll stay here and stand watch from these windows," Cassia says. "Marcus, maybe somebody should check outside the back door. See if you can hear them back there. We should get moving soon, and the safest path is necessary."

In the tavern, Burtin replies to the woman's remark. "We'll wait for them, yes. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Still, we should patch that hole as soon as possible. The light and noise streams out of it," he concludes. Guthrik nods his head and speaks. "Aye, I'll grab that hammer and get to it."

"That way is likely not the safest anymore, but I will check," Marcus responds, stepping back into the storage room and making his way to the door the group entered through. Once more producing his listening cone, he attempts to hear through the door for any sounds from outside. Those bastards, if I get my hands on them...

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to listen into the alley through the door: 18

Redros looks at the man, confused.
"This... Is not a shop? With the barrels and crates below I had assumed... I suppose I was wrong then."

"I agree -- this front door looks like the best bet to get back to the others," Cassia says as Marcus steps back into the storeroom.

Marcus

[SHOW]

You hear the shuffling of feet and moaning coming from outside. They don't sound right up against the door but they can't be far.

Back upstairs, Weasel responds to Redros. "I've cased this place a couple times, I think. Ain't many cellars here in this part 'a town, what with the elevation 'n all, so I'd say that stockroom was just their 'basement,'" he reasons. "We'll check the front in case I'm wrong and they've got some merchandise for us to... scope out, yeh?" He steps into the dining room, looking around it while holding the candle.