The upstairs inspection shows the empty bedrooms and another unexplored area across the wrecked central void.
Rav'n and Elsbeth appear at the door of the building to hear a faint rumble of voices upstairs and to find Kerim and his companions waiting outside a closed door. Kerim stands immediately in front of the door, fist upraised, as if he has just knocked on it.
Finding nothing of interest, Rolf decides to lead the others back down the stairs. He wanted to speak to Kerim about climbing to the upper floor on the other side of the collapsed area. Still, it doesn't seem likely that it'll turn anything up as well.
Stepping down, he sees Kerim still in front of the sealed door, Rav'n and Elsbeth at the doorway. Rolf starts to address Kerim, but then decides to hold off a moment and see what the merchant has in mind.
Peter shrugs his shoulders and follows Rolf down the stairs. He stops behind Rolf, a couple of steps up, and leans against the wall, waiting.
Kerim, his hand once poised before the door, forms a knuckle and knocks firmly several times.
He repeats the knock after a brief moment and calls forth to any behind the door "Hail fine folk within, It is I, Kerim of the family Alakani from far off Angasa, greeting with open arm and purse, in offer of free trade" - He looks at Rolf fleetingly - "Recompense will be paid for loss of your guardian. In self defence and not anger it was slain."
This is said in Norse, then repeated in Gaelic and Midani. For effect he loudly jangles the coins of his purse.
Kerim takes a step back from the door, courtesy prevailing and gets ready to offer anyone coming out a polite bow of a genuine trader.
There is no immediate reply from behind the door.
There is still no reply from behind the door.
Peter lounges against the wall, a frown on his face, as he watched Kerim knock on the door.
Good manners prevents him from saying anything though.
Watching, Rolf's lips twitch ever so slightly at the results, or more appropriately the lack of results, to Kerim's knocking. "I'd like to see the other half of the upper floor explored. Edgar, could you scout it out? And we need someone skilled at climbing. Any takers?"
Ravn, entering the building with Elbeth, ignores his probable low standing in Rolf's eyes after the temple incident and dares a suggestion.
"Say, Lord Constable, how about we fetch a log from the heap in the main hall and use it as a ram? With it, we could apply everyone's strength at once instead of just the force of one."
He looks at the door thoughtfully, frowning worriedly and looking for signs of marks made by Callum's shoulder.
"Mind you, I would much want to first examine the door for trollish wards and curses to the unwanted intruder, but I am sadly unprepared for such an undertaking and would require a night of rest and time to consort with higher powers before we could take such prudent precautions. I know that you are eager to complete this search and so am I, yet I would advise to take the cautious approach."
The rune caster regards the druidess.
"Elsbeth, you told me that you have been granted influence with nature and the land - would such influence stretch to include materials derived from nature? Dead wood, for instance?"
"Say, Lord Constable, how about we fetch a log from the heap in the
main hall and use it as a ram? With it, we could apply everyone's
strength at once instead of just the force of one."
"Aye, well, I'm after suggesting that myself but yon Kerim's a polite lad" he grins.
"Elsbeth, you told me that you have been granted influence with nature and the land - would such influence stretch to include materials derived from nature? Dead wood, for instance?"
Elsbeth nods, raising an eyebrow at such a wonderful suggestion. "Aye, that I can, but not very large ones. I could be warpin' the wood, but could only affect a wee piece or perhaps a plank."
The woman kneels before the door, examining it. Though she knows she couldn't affect the entire door, she looks for either a piece on the hinge or lock, or perhaps a securing piece around a lock that could be affected...
Elsbeth kneels to examine the door, and notes that the lock is set into a solid plank of wood which is much larger than anything she has affercted before.
Further examination shows that the tongue of the lock fits into a slot in a wooden part of the door frame. That too is larger than anything Elsbeth has successfully bent in the past, although it is much smaller than the plank that holds the body of the lock.
Edgar dips his head to acknowledge Rolf's order, and alights gently from his gnomish perch, his wings beating the air as he flies cautiously to the unexplored area in the upper level, planning on finding a perch on which to alight and inspect the area so that he can relay the details to the Constable that he might decide on further action.
Edgar flies across the main hall area and through the hole in the floor onto the floor above.
As he flies up he sees the remains of a room and a corridor along side it. The room has been damaged and exposed for so long, nothing remains to identify it in any way, so Edgar switches attention to the corridor.
Seeing no threat he cautiously lands on the floor and edges his way forward. There are two doors visible, both part off their hinges and hanging open.
Investigation of the first door shows what appears to have been a small dormitory, as there are bunkbeds and other furnitures here.
Cautiously approaching the second door, Edgar looks through to see a bigger dormitory. Again there are bunk beds and other basic furniture, as well as the leaves and detrious that has blown into these open and exposed rooms, through the hole in the main hall's roof .
The furniture in this wing of the building has clearly suffered from exposure to the elements, and is not in a good condition at all.
Returning to the hole, Edgar calls down his report of what he has seen, finishing up with ...
"I think this place was abandoned a goodly time ago ... if there are any secrets which the wind and rain could not unearth, then they lie safely hidden away ..."
He makes to fly back down to rejoin the others, but on a whim wheels away and perches on the edge of the hatchlings nest, steeling himself to look within.
"Okay," Rolf says, forcing his thoughts to the matter at hand. "Let's consider. We're all agreed that we are not going to pick the lock, yes?" He waits for replies, "And we didn't find any obviously easy way in from the floor above?" Again, a wait, "And Elsbeth, do you feel your arts might give us a chance to open the door?"
Rolf sighs, "I fear that the room was sealed for good cause and I'd rather at least try to poke a hole into it before trying anything else. But Callum, could you find a suitable timber?"
OOC: If required, Rolf will take a second look at the upstairs area above the room.
Elsbeth shakes her head at Rolf's question. "I'm able to affect smaller pieces- poles and such, but this may be too big. Whoever was makin' this used very solid and heavy wood, much larger than I've been able to change. I don't think I can help," she finishes, her face apologetic.