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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 9017307" data-attributes="member: 2012">Neither Litrix nor Phar see any signs of spiders outside the ruins, and Litrix doesn't remember seeing any webs on the exterior of the building when he and Aureus scouted around the edge of ruins. He looks up at the sun of the day. Then, again, they may not come out until night."Snakes are not vermin," Caerth replies firmly. "She is not like the scorpion. And she is not a horde of spiders. Yes, those creatures are also part of nature, but if they attack and we must kill them, so be it." Caerth strokes the snake's head. "Once she is out of these ruins, nature will have to take its course. I doubt all of her snakelets will live, but I want to give them a chance to live. She still might not survive. Nature is fickle."He looks at Maur. "While I'd like to take her somewhere safe, we don't have time. Eike is out there.""You can talk to her, right?" Aureus asks. "Maybe she knows the best way through the cacti.""I don't have that prepared today," Caerth replies.Caerth takes out his wand of cure light wounds and uses it on the snake mother several times. All of her wounds close and the animal looks a lot stronger.Aureus casts a resistance orison on the snake mother as well. "Hopefully that will help against the poison, but it will only last a minute.""Clear a path," Caerth says. "No sudden movements."Caerth urges the snake mother to leave the room through the breach. She doesn't hesitate, although her movements seem a bit sluggish. Once she is clear of the ruins, she quickly disappears down a rocky slope and into some dry grasses."That's all we can do," Caerth says.Aureus moves to the room's double doors and inspects the doors for traps. Once she is certain the doors are trapped, she checks the lock. It is locked, but from the other side. She tests the handle and the door opens just enough to see beyond. Light streams through the door. It opens up into the courtyard. She closes it again."So, these doors head into the courtyard. Are we going to check it out?""We've come this far," Quinn agrees."Don't forget that the scorpion's lair is on the roof of the other side of courtyard," Caerth reminds his companions. "If we go in there, it will attack again. I might not be able to stop it again. We should leave.""I know you don't want to hurt it," Quinn says to the half-orc druid. "But we should find out who built this place, if possible. These ruins are close enough to Carnell that it could be important."Caerth sighs. Outvoted again. He nods but insists on going first. Aureus opens the doors wide and lets Caerth take the lead. Aureus, Quinn, and Phar follow him inside. Then, Litrix and Maur who flank the door. Angus stands in the large open doorway.The courtyard seems to be better maintained than the rest of the ruins. It is covered in grasses that are wild but not completely overgrown. There is little to no sand built up inside the courtyard. South of the open doors is covered in more robust grasses and several small shrubs. There is an empty planter in the corner.There is also a 10 by 15 ft. low stone platform with a firepit and an anvil. Rubble has fallen down behind the anvil. North of the doors is a covered well and another smaller low platform that looks like it was used for cooking. There is no sign of rust on it but there are blown leaves scattered on its surface. Beyond the anvil is the ruined wagon that Caerth clearly saw in the sky while in dire owl form.At the other side of the courtyard is a table with two benches, another low stone platform with the dais on it, and another small planter. There is a large hole in the wall behind the dais. Caerth can see a set of stone doors in the southeast corner of the courtyard. Next to the table and benches is a pile of debris that looks like it has been piled up on purpose.Angus's hooves on the sandstone floor of the breach room are loud enough to rouse the scorpion. It comes to the edge of its lair by the pile of rubble on the roof and clacks its pincers."STAY!" Caerth orders the beast.The monstrous scorpion's primeval instincts seem to tell it not to press its luck. It move back away from the edge of the rocks that lead down into the courtyard. It settles back down into its lair and the courtyard goes silent.Two other sets of double doors lead out of the courtyard. One by the dais is made of metal and leads into a separate building that is connected to the rest of the ruins only by walls. It has a sloped roof and is not as old as the rest of the ruins. Maur can tell it was built much later, but it is still old. The other set of double doors are made of wood and they are adjacent to the metal doors in the southeast corner.You don't see any signs of webs in the courtyard.Aureus moves next to Caerth and whispers. "Do you think it will stay up there?"Caerth glances at her and then towards the scorpion's lair. "For now, it is more afraid of us.""Let's not anger it and be quick," Quinn suggests. "Aureus, look around for traps. I'll watch your back."Aureus nervously nods her head and begins to explore the courtyard, carefully and quietly. It takes quite a bit of time for her to check the courtyard and all three of the doors. All three doors are locked. While she is certain that none of them are trapped, she is hesitant to try to pick the locks while the scorpion in nearby. She and Quinn move back to the group."No traps," she says. "But all those doors are locked.""The metal doors are interesting," Quinn adds. "Well crafted."[OOC]<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278697" target="_blank">Caerth - Wand of Cure Light Wounds (on snake): 1D8+5 = [8]+5 = 13</a><a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278697" target="_blank">1D8+5 = [2]+5 = 7</a><a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278697" target="_blank">1D8+5 = [1]+5 = 6</a><a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278697" target="_blank">1D8+5 = [8]+5 = 13</a>charges: 36/50[Spoiler="DM Only"]<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278698" target="_blank">Aureus - Search check (for traps): 1D20+10 = [4]+10 = 14</a> (doors leading into courtyard)- - -<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278699" target="_blank">Aureus - Search check (for traps in courtyard): 1D20+10 = [15]+10 = 25</a><a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278700" target="_blank">Aureus - Search check (doors for traps): 1D20+10 = [12]+10 = 22</a> (iron doors)<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278700" target="_blank">1D20+10 = [8]+10 = 18</a> (stone doors)<a href="http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=278700" target="_blank">1D20+10 = [4]+10 = 14</a> (wooden doors)[/Spoiler][/OOC]</blockquote>

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