Changelings part I: 27 Charity Street

[kintire]

The passage seems to lead on into the darkness. with a moment to look around them they can see that it is very different from the house above: a drystone walled passage of rough slabs that seem in a natural state, with no sign of squaring. As they take a few paces forward the light seems to pick out a hint of something ahead, two huge stones with a slightly smaller capstone, forming a rough arch. as they approach they can see that on the left are some metal let into the stone that might once have been hinges for some sort of door, but they are rusted almost into unrecognisability, and any door they held has long since vanished. Beyond, the tunnel leads on.

[alhoon]

Sheradon looks at the architecture of the cellar and the door trying to piece together if they're at least in Paridon still, in fact, present day Paridon, or they have been swept through time and space again.

[VAN]

Catherine looks the arch and the apparently missing door on the left. Getting a torch from her backpack, lights it and then searches the area around the arch and the metal in the stone without passing through the arch though.

[kintire]

Seradon cannot determine if he is still in Paridon or not, although the trapdoor some yards behind them still gapes open and the kitchen is still above. He can determine that the passage is of a very different construction style to the house, and is much cruder.

The archway definitely once had a door in it, but it has mouldered away in the damp tunnel. Catherine can see some remaining fragments of damp and rotten wood. The rusted remains of the crude hinges are old, but not ancient. Decades, rather than centuries. An intact door would not have rotted so quickly and several of the fragments are further down the tunnel (though she cannot examine them closely without stepping through the arch). It is possible the door was broken down.

[alhoon]

M/F: "The bad news people is that I have no idea if we're still in Paridon or not, but certainly the tunnel is a crude constraction, probably made at a different time than the house above.
Should we go on into the unknown or go back and ask that ghost/faerie thing with the tail?"

Seradon stands ready to translate anything from Mordentish to Falkovian and vice versa.

[steveflam]

"Lets just go forward. Dont think we kin go back to that other place anyways."

[alhoon]

Seradon points to the trapdoor leading back to the kitchen
M: "Well the door is open. Perhaps we won't be allowed to, perhaps we would."

[steveflam]

Gorn tries the door.

[BigBadQDaddy]

"I say we press on. I will not spend the rest of my days holed up in some cursed old house in a land I do not call home"

[VAN]

Catherine looks at the trapdoors once and then at the arch.

"Well, at this point I think we should proceed. Maybe we can find even some answers and if we don't we can go back. Hulna said we have time till dawn, then the trapdoor closes. I don't think we have spend that much time downhere so we should have some more time to explore what is ahead. As about the archway it definitely once had a door in it. The rusted remains of the crude hinges are old, but not ancient. Decades, rather than centuries. For what I know an intact door would not have rotted so quickly and if you look carefully you can see several of the fragments further down the tunnel. I think the door was broken down."

Looking one more time back at the trapdoor and then at the arch ahead she asks:

"So shall we?"

[alhoon]

Seradon nods in agreement and offers to carry the torch so the warriors would have their hands free.

[kintire]

As the group steps forward, the passage fades once again. Around them is a large hall, built of wood, with a long fire down the center of it, over which joints of meat turn slowly on spits. The hall is carved and painted in a bright but rather martial theme, and people are moving about it on one errand or another. At the far end the hall rises in some steps to a high seat, on which sits a man. He is tall, strongly built, with a hook nose and long hair and a beard, neatly trimmed and his hair well combed. His clothes are of leather, but well tailored with decorative inlays in the leather and silver buckles. On the wall behind him hangs a sword. It is scabbarded, but the hilt looks very familiar.

He looks up at you down the length of the hall, its entrance is behind you as if you have just stepped in.

"Hail, travellers, and welcome to Gardar! Come in, come in! The hospitality of my hall is yours!"

[alhoon]

Seradon's mind races to think of whether he remembers anything from his knowledge of heradly, history or anything else about this strange barbarian Jarl or whatever he is and the "Gardar". He looks to see if the person seems to be related with the warlord that yielded the sword. As the new warlord-leader adresses them he just looks at his companions to see if they, like with Hudra, understood everything said by the man.
Not that skilled in fine wordplay as Cat, he gives the man a nod of deference hoping it would be in theme with what the leader expects and what protocol of these friendly savages demands from guests. With a smile he steps back presenting Catherine to the warlord, talking in a loud clear voice. As he speaks, he hopes that his introduction would give the rogue enough time to think what to say.
"Greetings oh Great warrior and prosperity to your people and all your sons. This is Catherine, this is Helfried, this is Gorn and I am Seradon. We are grateful for your hospitality."
With that introduction he steps back so Catherine would step forward and say what she's to say.

[steveflam]

Gorn merely nods but taps Helfried on the arm and without speaking, eyes the sword in the scabbard hanging from the wall.

[VAN]

Catherine blinks as the passage fades and they found themselves at the strange hall. The sword behind the leader gets Catherine's attention but she rushes to look away so he doesn't understand what they are looking for. The rogue tries to remember if she has ever heard the name Gardar before. Following Seradon's lead she bows and says:

"Thank you very much for your kindness mighty lord, we would most certainly be delighted if we could stay with you till we rest a bit."

Looking around she tries to understand if these people are preparing to go to a battle or they just run normal errands and also tries to see if there is a bard or a shaman. Then she looks again at the leader and says:

"Forgive my ignorance mighty lord but if you have time may you tell us couple things about Gardar? Like where actually is it? At the Mainland or is an island like Paridon? We are foreigners, that are lost and we didn't have the pleasure to know it till now."