Chapter Five: Hunting Lodge

Jon makes himself a hardtack and dried meat sandwich for second breakfast while the party finishes gearing up. "Those trolls last night," he asks between bites, "did that happen, or was I dreaming?"

"We would have dreamt the same," says Bughu. "Hopefully that's not a sign of what we might find inside the lodge." The warrior is ready to head out.

You enter the building and just inside the front door is a chamber with pegs and benches for cloaks and boots. A set of rusty spears rests in one corner, held in the claw of a small drake statue. The is a door directly across from the main entry doors.

Bughu wipes the bottom of his boots against the threshold, not eager to give up his equipment in this foyer. He moves forward to the inner doors and tries to listen for the sound of voices or some activity.

You don't see any cloaks or boots in the area.

Listening at the door, Bughu doesn't hear anything at all.

Leema moves up quietly next to Bughu.

"Doesn’t look like there’s any visitors here." she says pointing to the cloak chamber. "Shall we continue?"

Bughu nods. With a look to the others, he opens the door and steps through.

Erich follows along, keeping his eyes open for anything that could require him to speak up with their cover story.

The doors open easily. This central hallway has stairs, large wooden doors, and a set of fine plate armor. Flanking the main entrance are two freestanding suits of elven plate armor, both coated in chipped green paint. Man-sized demonic statues stand near the base of the stairs. A heavy carpet in the center of the room is stained with mud. There are several more doors from here.

Map

"That seems out of place," says Bughu, eyeing the statues with distaste. "I would have expected dragons or something.

"Which way?"

"That's... dreary. How about we try the far door on the right?"

"Bottom right, then," says Bughu, heading that way. As he walks, he ventures to guess, "Perhaps servants' quarters or the kitchen."

You open the next door and find a large room. The stout beams overhead are stained black with smoke. A comfortable table and chairs, a small wardrobe, and suit of dull black armor stand in the room. A large tapestry shows three hounds dragging down a white boar, and it shimmers with strange light. Two doors are closed on the north wall.

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Bughu does not seem too concerned that he guessed wrongly. Letting the others investigate as they like, he moves over to one of the doors on the north wall to listen.

While Bughu listens at the door Leema walks over to investigate the armor. She's particularly interested in the size and what type of humanoid it may be for.

Erich moves to the tapestry to investigate the strange light.

Bughu listens at both of the doors, but doesn't hear anything from either one.

Leema moves over to the armor to look it over. It's very well-made and likely fairly old. It looks like it's sized for a large human.

Erich's investigation of the tapestry reveals that it is clearly magical, but he doesn't know what it might actually be for.

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Bughu waits until everyone has completed their investigation. When the party is ready, he will open one of the doors...