Death House

[steveflam]

Burdur scoffs "You don't trigger a skeleton you ignorant mortal! It sees you or listens you and attacks. Give me that letter, you're probably illiterate anyway."

Burdur takes the letter and reads loudly so that even Kimber can listen.

"My most pathetic servant,
I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers
of this land. I have not come to lead you on a path to
immortality. However many souls you have bled on your
hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured
in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who
brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms
writhing in my earth.
You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You
abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom
of another woman, and sired a stillborn son. Cursed by
darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your
wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are.
Your dread lord and master,
Strahd von Zarovich"

GNORRIC does a slow clap.
"Thanks for reading that for Van! Another bold act of risking yourself for others. If it had been cursed, you'd have taken the hex on yourself. "
GNORRIC looks over at Van.
"Don't be offended, please. You know Burbur is just so anxious for our safety that he can't take time explain to us ignorant mortals about things like traps. That's why he's been finding all the hidden dangers without our help. We should probably all just kick back and , I dunno, drink some wine while he clears this place on his own."

Bhunder adds "You're very brave for reading that, Burdur. Even more for really really helping us here. I am quite impressed."

[alhoon]

The taunts of the gnomes fail to produce a reaction from the dwarf, but that doesn't mean he's not annoyed. "Don't think I will fall for your tricks fey-born. Gnorric, I see that me healing you yesterday was not enough to get you to watch your mouth. Very well, I'll keep it in mind.
Be thankful that we are on the same side else your brother would be begging the long-ears to heal you."

He turns to Van. "Since the short-ones listen to you, if you want that chest opened, tell the thief to open it since he can't see reason." said the 4' 2" dwarf about the slightly shorter gnomes to one exceptionally tall human.

[ewancummins]

The taunts of the gnomes fail to produce a reaction from the dwarf, but that doesn't mean he's not annoyed. "Don't think I will fall for your tricks fey-born. Gnorric, I see that me healing you yesterday was not enough to get you to watch your mouth. Very well, I'll keep it in mind.
Be thankful that we are on the same side else your brother would be begging the long-ears to heal you."

He turns to Van. "Since the short-ones listen to you, if you want that chest opened, tell the thief to open it since he can't see reason." said the 4' 2" dwarf about the slightly shorter gnomes to one exceptionally tall human.

GNORRIC smiles at the dwarf's back.

When the dwarf calls him a thief, he speaks again.
"Alright, shut your piehole for a minute, you oaf. I've had enough of you treating the rest of us like your inferiors. You healed me. That was your duty. I'm a scout and trapper That's my duty. And since healing me--yesterday-- about all you have done is run your fat mouth and undermine our leader. Vorj has been a lot more helpful, and he's supposed to be the enemy."
He glances at Kimber." Even she's been a lot more cooperative than you, for all that she won't take the oath. But about that chest...since you have such quick and grabby hands, how about you check it? It's my official trapper recommendation."

[alhoon]

The dwarf cleric grinds his teeth at the open challenge from the gnome. Then, he folds his arms and backs down, trying to de-escalate the situation. "I'm sorry." He says gruffly. "This house and the attack yesterday put me at edge."
That's all the apology he offers. But it's more than anyone has heard Burdur offer.

[ewancummins]

The dwarf cleric grinds his teeth at the open challenge from the gnome. Then, he folds his arms and backs down, trying to de-escalate the situation. "I'm sorry." He says gruffly. "This house and the attack yesterday put me at edge."
That's all the apology he offers. But it's more than anyone has heard Burdur offer.

GNORRIC nods at Burdur.
" We're all on edge. This house is a bad place. A...death house."
He turns round without any further word and sets to work checking the chest--- very carefully.

[alhoon]

Gnorric finds the trap that killed whomever the skeleton belonged to, was still active. He manages to find the trigger; opening the chest, even a little. If Burdur had attempted to open the lid, he would have got at least three darts (perhaps more) right in the chest before the lid was open. Whether the dwarf's scale armor could have stopped the darts or the divine grace that he serves would save him is unknown.

[ewancummins]

Gnorric finds the trap that killed whomever the skeleton belonged to, was still active. He manages to find the trigger; opening the chest, even a little. If Burdur had attempted to open the lid, he would have got at least three darts (perhaps more) right in the chest before the lid was open. Whether the dwarf's scale armor could have stopped the darts or the divine grace that he serves would save him is unknown.

The gnome inhales sharply.
"Somebody bring me something thick to block these darts in case they shoot out, please."
Once a barrier has been set in place, he works to disarm the trap.

[alhoon]

Burdur without losing his frown, offers his shield to Gnorric. But trying to cut springs and wires while covered by a bulky shield proves problematic. Gnorric raises the lid a bit too high to disconnect a spring and a Rapid "Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!" can be heard as darts crash with significant force on the shield. Burdur's frown deepens as his shield is mauled.
Gnorric knows that opening the lid will now be safe but from his earlier tests and what he saw before accidentally activating the trap, if the lid closes the trap will reset. Unless the four metallic tubes connected to the lid have finally emptied of darts.

The chest contains three blank books with black leather covers (worth 25 gp each), three strange scrolls covered with faintly glowing runes, the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, and a signed will.
The will is signed by Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and bequeathes the house, the windmill, and all other family property to Rosavalda and Thornboldt Durst in the event of their parents’ deaths.

[VAN]

Seeing the darts get the dwarf's shield Van worries about his friend asks:

"Gnorric! Are you ok? Better get these books out and close the chest. Burdur, thanks for giving your shield to my friend, he is a great scout and no trap is a match for him. This house has gotten us all, I suggest to try and stay calm and think twice before we speak. We all have exceptional skills and we are all needed if we want to get out safe."

[kintire]

Kimber glances into the room to keep track of events, especially when the fighting starts.. and stops. But she is mostly watching the party's backs from her position in the doorway. Still she cannot restrain herself from listening intently to the weird letter.

She follows the Gnome/Dwarf confrontation with sardonic amusement, which fades towards the end of it.

"I am scarcely surprised you should complain about people undermining the leader, you who have done more of that than anyone else. But trying to kill a companion by taunting them into a trap is low, even for you!"

She shakes her head and returns to her watching until Van speaks his piece, at which point she nods in approval.

[ewancummins]

GNORRIC fires his pistol into the ceiling.

[steveflam]

Bhunder looks up from his inspection of the library at the sound of the shot from Gnorric's pistol. (Don't think he sees what his brother did)

"Gnorric! Is everything all right in there?" He moves to see what's happened.

[VAN]

Van that was still looking at the letter draws his scimitars and turns to see what happened.

"What? Who got shot? Is everyone alright?"

[ewancummins]

Van that was still looking at the letter draws his scimitars and turns to see what happened.

"What? Whoe got shot? Is everyone alright?"

''No, we are not alright."
He points his finger at the druid.
"Kimber didn't take the oath not to betray us, not to harm us. Not to kill us. Think about that, comrades. She works against all efforts at unity. She refuses to respect the chosen leader. She sees Burbur make peace with me, with Van, and she tries to restart the squabble. Accuses me of trying to murder my comrade. Obvious lie, or crazy talk. Why? Is she trying to get us all killed? Is she working for some evil force that lurks in this house? Royalist versus Rebel politics?
No. I think she's proud. Proud and feeling aggrieved over insults. Well, I don't have any more time for this nonsense. Kimber, just tell me what your problem is so we can solve this shite and move on. But first, take the oath. Vorj did. And you see that we all treat him like one of us now."

[VAN]

Van goes and stands by Gnorric.

"Kimber, this is not a royal-rebel discussion, is a companions one. Everyone took that oath including royalists. As Gnorric said we need to know that your loyalty stands with us. You have looked our backs I grant you that but provoking Gnorric isn't cool. He and Burdur are big guys and resolved their issue, Gnorric was just trying to prove a point. Everyone in here have skills and is absolutely important if we want to get out of here alive. Me and Vorj are good with blales, Burdur can heal and have divine spells, Bhunder is a wizard and Gnorric is the only one that can gind and remove traps, if it wasn't for him we would be dead by now. You have a connection to the earth none of us have and you have spells that will be handy. So please take the oath as everyone in the group did and prove us we can trust you. Please."

Turning to the gnome he adds:

"And Gnorric, please if you consider me a leader trust me on that. I know we are all on edge here and trust me being with royalists trapped in a death house in a different land doesn't help at all. But please stop antagonizing both Burdur and Kimber. I'm by your side you know that, but take my word on that, we need to cooperate and to be united to survive and Burdur's healing skills as long as Kimber's knowledge and spells are important to survive. Let your differences aside just for the time being, you are the best scout and trap finder I know and our lives indeed depend on you. But we don't know if they will not depend on the others next minute. What if one of us get hurt and we need divine healing, what if we have to face an enemy that comes from earth that only Kimber can face. We don't know what we may found behind the next door or the next drawer we open. Please cut them both some slack and when we are back home I will be the first one that will fight royals by yours and Bhunder's side as before."