A Hard Time in Harrowdale: The Cavernous Cellar Caper

[Arkhandus]

(OOC: Abrielle, Abde'ragman, you still with us?)

The merchant looks to your small group and assesses your appearance, then replies "Indeed I am he, and I must assume from the looks of you that you're inquiring about the little cellar problem that nag was harping about earlier. Well, I'm certainly looking for a few exterminators so I can clear out the pests, but I hardly think it's something the Constable needs to worry over. Just a cleft into some dingy old cave with a few critters in it. Still, they're a little too big for a simple stomping or a housecat. Tried that, can't get the tabby t' go back into the basement 't all now."

Garret leads Evanar, Fayne, Abrielle, and Abde'ragman to one side of the room and through a door into the basement stairway. "Be prepared to deal with rats and bugs, and don't be surprised if some few're bigger'n a housecat. Just means an easier target fer stabbin' or the like. We can discuss payment after you've done some exterminatin' down there and proven yer chops." He picks up a hooded lantern and checks its oil reserve, then holds it up for one of you to take if you need it.

 

[Rhun]

Fayne looks at the others. "I need my hands free for my glaive, if someone wouldn't mind taking the lamp."

 

[Scott DeWar]

" and I need both of my hands for my sword. sorry." then to the merchant, " so your cat is too scared, eh?" he draws his steels blade, "then by all means let us go to this task."

 

[Rhun]

Fayne turns to consider the others. "Abrielle? Abde'ragman?"

 

[Voda Vosa]

"It wont be neccesary" The wizard chants a few elven words and magical light emmanates from Fayne's Galvie. "That way you can handle your weapon and our surce of light." the mage remarks.

 

[Scott DeWar]

"that works"

 

[Rhun]

Fayne grins, not the most pleasant of sights. "Well done." He points his glaive toward the opening. "Evanar, do you mind leading the way. My glaive is more beneficial from the second rank."

 

[Scott DeWar]

OOC: oops: double post

 

[Scott DeWar]

"With pleasure" the sword is drawn carefully from the scabbard as the young human enters the cave carefully.

 

[Arkhandus]

Into the Cellar

Evanar leads the way down into the cellar, Fayne close behind, Abrielle and Abde'ragman following last. The merchant Garret puts away the hooded lantern, seeing Abde'ragman's magic trick. "Knock three times like this when you want me t' open up. Can't leave the door open fer pests t' crawl out," he says, closing the door behind them and locking it. He knocks three times, the third knock a few seconds after the first two.

The basement stairway is lit only by Abde'ragman's magical light on Fayne's glaive. The stairs are broad and shallow, and after about 20 feet they reach the bottom. The stairs end in a corner of the cellar, so at the bottom you have to go around the corner to see the rest of the cellar. It's a fairly large cellar, at least as big as the glaive-light reaches, with stacks of crates, barrels, chests, big sacks, beer kegs, and wine bottles, along with various shelves and racks. There are various food-related scents down here, but also a slightly unpleasant smell you can't place. Nothing unusual is apparent to you so far, at the bottom of the stairs.

[sblock=Map]Garret's Cellar
F EX R O ? ? ?
asXX R X R O ?
AsOX X X X O ?
s ? X X O X X X
s ? O X O ? ? R
? ? O X R ? ? ?
? ? ? ? X ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? O ? ?
Map Key: A = Abde'ragman, a = Abrielle, E = Evanar, F = Fayne, X = empty 5-foot space, s = stairway, R = rough terrain (small boxes and such), O = obstacles (piles of stuff you can't cross or see past), ? = areas you can't see yet, yellow areas are lit up, blue areas have shadowy illumination.

I really need to get some way to post actual maps....ASCII maps are tough to deal with.[/sblock]