(YBA) Kalath in the dungeons of Tutul

[graydoom]

Kalath opens the door and goes through.

 

[Wicht]

The next room appears to have once been neatly and expensively furnished. However dust covers all and the furniture is all piled up against a wall to Kalath's left. There is a wardrobe against the wall with a heavy oaken table and two desks, rammed up against the wardrobe. Five heavy chairs are braced up against the desks and several chests have been piled atop the desks.

The rest of the room is barren, except for an ancient an unlit chandelier in the center of the room.

 

[graydoom]

Kalath attempts to move the various peices of furniture piled against the wall to other parts of a room, guessing that a door lies behind all the furniture and wondering what could be so fearsome to prompt someone to do this.

 

[Wicht]

Moving the furniture does indeed reveal a door. Bits of the door are missing, looking like someone or something was attacking it for a time from the other side.

 

[graydoom]

Kalath listens at the door for a second and then, if he hears nothing out of the ordinary, he cautiously opens it and goes through.

 

[Wicht]

All is silence on the other side of the door. Opening it and peering through, Kalath sees a short hall way. At the end of it is a stone door. The door is only apparent because of the door shape outling it makes on the wall. Otherwise it is featureless, without knob or handle. There is a foot long metal lever in the wall about a foot away from the door in the up position.

 

[graydoom]

Kalath investigates the door, and if he cannot find another way to open it he does the obvious thing and pulls the lever.

 

[Wicht]

The obvious thing in this case works. The stone door swings open, slowly and silently, revealing a well lit room on the other side.

"Come on in young one," says a voice from within the room. The speaker sounds aged but strong.

Warm air wafts out of the room and into the small hallway.

 

[graydoom]

Kalath cautiously enters, making sure the door doesn't suddenly close or anything, and looks around the room.

 

[Wicht]

As Kalath starts to enter the room, the door does indeed start to close. He manages to grab it and hold it with one hand to keep it from closing, but as soon as he lets go, it feels like some mechanism will close it.

"I take it that you cleared out the way to the City of the Bard for us," says the speaker, a gray bearded man in comfortable leather clothing. His beard is braided and his gray hair is shaggy and long. There is something in his eyes, the look of a predator.

"My thanks for that, but I am afraid the secret door there has a timing mechanism. It will close as soon as you let go, but of course it can always be opened again from this side."

Kalath sees that the room is of stone, though furnished with many furs and wooden furniture. A warm fire burns behind the chair the man is sitting in. A painting of a wolf hangs above the fireplace. Against the other wall is a table covered with both papers and plates of half-gnawed meat and bones. A large wolf rests at the foot of the old man, his eyes watching Kalath.

"May I ask you your name and business?" asks the man.