Chapter 3: Investigating the missing children

[PylonHead]

I put my back against a wall, gesture to Ghelve to move away from the curtain and get under a table, then unstrap my spear and prepare to channel the powers of hell.

[Skyscraper]

FYI, the counter is located about 5 feet in front of the curtains.

Ghelve moves away from the curtains (which allows you to notice that he's standing on stilts, which is what gave the impression that he was as tall as you guys) and to the back of the room. He's moving his lips in a repetitive noiseless prayer.

[rosencrantz]

I look at his lips and try to deciper what and to whom he is praying.

Perception: d20+3
7+3 = 10

Religion: d20+5
6+5 = 11

[PylonHead]

I look around for hidden attackers or traps:

Perception Roll(1d20)+3:
14,+3
Total:17

[SunTzu2]

Fea's hand moves instinctively to the handle of his sword as he looks around the shop, and out the windows of the shop nervously, looking for any signs of trouble.

Perception 1d20+9 = 9+9 = 18

[Skyscraper]

Here is what you all see, also showing the windowed small turret where locks are displayed to be inspected from outside.

The entrance is to the shop itself is to the south of the room you are in, and you all eventually notice another door to the north which is unobvious (same wood as walls, stuff hanging from it too) but not concealed.

The curtains are shown in red to the east, with the counter extend in front. As noted previously, chains and locks hang from pegs on the wall and the roof rafters just about everywhere in the room (though they aren't really hindering).

[Skyscraper]

(Harrower brought to my attention that I had not noticed that Discido moved the curtain aside. Here is an amended map.)

Discido moves the curtain aside to reveal a living room. Late afternoon light filters slightly through a decorative curtain to the south made from chains of all sorts that separates the living room from the lock display in the small turret. Between the heavy shadows, rays of light appear thick due to dust that floats in the air in this high-ceiling room to reveal a mess which appears contrary to the orderly fashion in which the shop is kept. A few chests lie in the middle of the room, their covers opened and their contents spilled around them. Books have fallen beside their shelves, some chains and locks litter the floor, a plant lies dead near the chain curtain, its pot broken and the earth spread about in the room and over what was probably a nice rug underneath. A staircase leading up is visible to the north, a few of the wooden posts supporting its railing being broken.

[SunTzu2]

Fea moves close to Ghelve and speaks softly, "Do you live here alone or are there loved ones with you?"

[Harrower]

I advance to the counter (keeping the counter between myself and the back room) and examine five potential areas for attackers of any sort
- the passageway north of the space behind the counter (on our side of the curtains)
- the turret in the backroom
- the carpet I move with mage hand to verify if there is a trap door beneath
- the door (at least I think it is a door) in the north east corner of the back room
- whatever portion of the stairs that I can see


Perception +3
Roll(1d20)+3:
12,+3
Total:15

[Skyscraper]

Keygan Ghelve, to Fea, after the latter had to repeat his question thrice because the gnome appears scared to his marrow: "... A... Alone..." He also appears more tired than anyone you've seen in your entire life.

(For future reference, we'll call the room you are all in the shop, and the other room the living room.)

Sealamin, you move the rug in the living room with your mage hand and notice no trap door undearneath it. Everyone else notices the eladrin mage moving his hand and the rug moving at a distance.

The north passage in the shop is in fact a door, although the map doesn't show it, it erroneously only shows a passageway. The door is non-descript, made from the same wood as the walls. It is closed.

The turret you cannot see very well from the inside, the chain curtain is thick enough. You think you would notice a silhouette if anyone was standing behind it due to the sun filtering through and you don't see any (silhouette). You didn't see anything in the turrette from the outside before you entered the shop except for the display of locks.

The element on the map in the north east corner is not a door, it is an old clock (a very rare thing!) which appears broken and out of order.

You can see a good portion of the staircase with your low-light vision, through the railing which simply consists of spaced-apart posts supporting a wooden hand-rail. You see nothing there.

[PylonHead]

To Ghelve, "Quickly man, tell us who is here. We will protect you."

[Parared]

( whispered, to Jack )
"Stick close to Ghelve. Protect him, don't let him run off"

( to everyone )
"Beware of unseen enemies. Stay close to defend each other, and drag
Ghelve with us. I will proceed, and try to flush our rabbits from the bush"

Listening intently, I move into the living room, quickly slicing the air with my
sword, seeing if it sticks in anything that's not there.

I make my way in this manner to the bottom of the stairs, and upon reaching there
signal the rest of the group to follow.

[Harrower]

I follow Discido into the living room and toward the stairs (remaining about 3 squares behind, terrain allowing)
I move forward alert for enemies and traps of both physical and magical nature

perception +3
Roll(1d20)+3:
18,+3
Total:21

arcana +11
Roll(1d20)+11:
3,+11
Total:14

(sure hope it is a physical and not a magical roll that was required)

[PylonHead]

I stay close the Ghelve, watching him and ready to intercept anyone who might come for him.

[Skyscraper]

Jack: Ghelve moves his head from side to side in the gesture of a "no": you're unsure if he refuses to answer your question or if he simply can't believe what's happening.

Discido, as you advance towards the strairs inside the room with your sword before you, you feel something heavy hitting you from above - something that fell on you! However, the attack fails and you take no damage and also manage to maintain your footing even though the attacker obviously tried to knock you to the ground. You realize that there is a balcony overlooking the living room, which is most probably where the creature came from. You hear a thud on the floor next to you. As you turn around to look at your attacker, you see... a shape, translucent or even transparent. It appears somewhat humanoid and about your height. You can still see the wall behind it, but anything that you look at through the creature appears deformed. You understand suddenly what the child at the orphanage meant when whe said that the wall appeared to hold the children that were taken away. Indeed, the warped image of the wall through the creature is reminiscent of the wall itself moving out towards you. You think you notice silvery eyes on the shape. But something else draws your attention: the creature is holding a rapier, this one made of solid steel alright, and it is positioned to strike! You hear a hiss coming from the creature, then a few words in a language which is not the common tongue, raspy and guttural.

All others: since you were presumably looking attentively at Discido, you all see what I described above.

Combat starts. Please provide me with an initiative roll, and also with a list of the languages you speak. A map will be posted by MTS shortly.