Carburator rushes down to see what is going on!
Kadlian rushes down stairs, short sword drawn and long sword on his back.
Blade in hand, and spell on his lips, Logan leaps out of bed and down the stairs to see what has happened.
Niko untangles himself from Edelle and heads downstairs to find out what all the hubbub is all about. Edelle follows, clad in some translucent nothing.
"Ow," Dor yells as he stubs his toe on the the doorway, as he rushes to perhaps help a damsel in distress.
Kailar turns invisible and sneaks down stairs.
Malvis stays upstairs to make sure that the scream was not a ploy to get everyone out of their rooms so that they may be robbed, vandalized, etc.
Carburator, Kadlian, Logan, Niko, Dor, Kailar and Edelle rush downstairs while the rest of the party sleeps on.
The hubbub seems to be coming from the basement. Hurrying down there, you find yourselves in a small kitchen (20' square, door in the east wall leading into a bedroom. It appears to be a fairly standard room...until you notice what can only be an open secret door at the back of the fireplace. The ashes and coals in the fireplace have been disturbed...as if something was dragged through them.
In the centre of the kitchen stand the innkeeper and his wife, while a few serving maids stand huddled in a corner. The wife is weeping, while her husband holds her comfortingly, all the time casting nervous glances at the fireplace.
"What is the problem, sir? We will help you if we can.
"Logan, Niko, Dor, watch the fireplace in case anything tries to come through. Do not go in until we have figured out what the problem is.
"Kailar, Carburator, watch the entrance to the inn. Edelle, if this is what I think it is, you are going to go wake everyone else."
Edelle nods.
In a serious tone, Niko says, "Edelle, grab my cloak, cutlass and dagger, too, please. Keep the cutlass in the sheathe, lest it shock you."
He then adds with a grin, "And ya might wanna grab a cloak for yerself, too!"
"Something came through the fireplace," the man says, voice shaking, "Like a man...but dead. It grabbed one of the scullery slaves and she went...stiff. Then, it dragged her off."
Niko grimaces. "Ghoul or ghast...foul creatures of the night..."
"She was like a daughter to me," the woman sobs.
"Kadlian, we need to go now...if there's any chance to save her."
"I agree. No time to waste."
"I agree," Logan replies, "Kad, we have to follow or the girl will not survive the night. I have no more gear to speak of; how about Dor and I go and the rest follow when you can," he suggests. "Yes, we will be careful, I will even go with my ring of invisibility on."
"We go. Kailar, Logan, Dor and myself. Edelle, round up everyone, especially the clerics and get them down here quickly. Ask Windul and Vastelle to stay behind with Callie and yourself. We cannot leave these fine folks alone and you four are more than capable enough of handling things right now."
Edelle hurries off.
"We are going to find the girl and come back. Then we will go down later and start mopping things up."
"Bah! What am I, chopped liver? I'm going, too!" Niko states adamantly.
"No, but you need your additional weapons. So, stay. You lead the second group in, okay? I will leave markings at any intersection so that you can follow our trail."
Niko grimaces. "Hey, it's not like I'm helpless without my weapons. I can cast spells...even those that don't require components!"
He then grumbles, "However, I will wait for the others..."
Niko begins to sulk and waits impatiently for Edelle to return.
"Sir, ma'am, we will do our best to bring her back safe."
"Time to play," the mage/fighter replies as he slips on his ring of invisibility and vanishes from sight. He enters the fireplace and walks through.
"Logan, let Kailar lead, then you, myself and Dor."
"Fine," says an exasperated intangible voice. "So, nu, let's not take all day!"
The sound of a foot tapping on the floor could be heard from where the voice came from.
Kadlian draws his longsword. "Kailar, lead the way. Let us find that girl."
Kailar casts polymorph self and fly upon himself; he then turns invisible. He heads down the passage.
He keeps an eye out for traps and an ear out for screams or other indications that the girl is alive.
Dor follows enthusiastically. "Bad things are going to happen to evil things. Heh, heh, heh."
Niko rolls his eyes back at the youngster and sighs, "Newbies."
Carburator says, "I am going too!"
He follows after them.
"Stay here Carburator. Come with the second group."
"Fine."
With Kailar leading, Logan, Dor and Kadlian cautiously step over the ashes and coals and pass through the secret door at the back of the fireplace. The door is only about three feet high but beyond is a 10' wide alcove opening up to the south after 10', with a ceiling which arches to a height of 12'.
The explorers / would be rescuers go down to the opening of the alcove and take a look.
The alcove opens into a 10' wide passage running east - west.
Shielding their eyes from the light behind, those with infravision see that to the east, it runs for 60' and on (passage running south in the 20' - 30' section; door in the south wall 50' - 60' section and a 10' wide passage running north opposite it).
To the west it runs for 60' and ends. At the end, though, you spot something warm. It could be a body.
Kadlian mumbles something about stupid fighters without weapons. "Dor, go back and get some weapons and then come. Have someone bring our armour, while you are at it.
"Kailar, check out the body. Be careful. Logan and I will follow you by about twenty feet."
Kailar nods invisibly.
Then Dor rushes heedlessly towards the fallen body.
Kadlian trips him as Dor runs by him.
Dor goes sprawling.
"Oof."
The fighter/mage smiles but then focuses on Kailar and his find.
Kadlian says quietly, "Dor, go back to the exit, get some weapons and armour and come back with the rest of the group. This could be a trap and you are not armed which could prove to be a great liability. Now, use your head and obey my orders."
"What? Oh yeah." He grins and heads back.
"Remind me to have Rage cast a detect brain spell on him when we have time," Kadlian says to no one in particular after Dor has made it back to the entrance.
"Maybe he is possessed by a really stupid demon. If so, we would have some hope."
Kadlian shakes his head and whispers, "He keeps doing stupid things like that and he will be dead pretty soon and it will not matter much."
You move carefully forward, Kailar leading.
At one point as you advance you think you hear the sound of stone rubbing on stone from ahead, but you are not sure.
You reach the end of the passage.
There you find the body of a teenaged girl, dead and mutilated, but still warm. A look of horror is frozen on her face, her eyes open wide.
You hear a sound from behind you.
Turning about, you see two warm forms sprawling on the floor back by the entrance to the alcove.
Kadlian sighs and shakes his head. He picks up the girl in one arm. "Kailar, Logan, we head back to get the rest of the group. Kailar, lead the way. Logan, follow behind me. When we get back towards the entrance, I will put down the body and we will figure out who the newcomers are. Be ready for the trap to spring."
"Aye, aye, boss man!" Logan replies invisibly.
You head back.
Kadlian and Logan return to the alcove containing the secret door to find Carburator and Niko there. Dor is not to be seen, and neither is Kailar.
Kadlian carries the mutilated corpse of a teenaged girl.
Just over five minutes have passed since they set out on their exploration.