Chapter 3: Crow's Nest

Krav seems to put the animal at ease, and the pony follows along without argument.

Ember points out the way through town, and after Krav finds an excellent spot for the pony a little way closer to town, the party moves in again. In the faint dawn light, you find your way to the temporary headquarters. The two-story building appears to have once been a general store, with living quarters upstairs, perhaps for the owner and family. Whatever supplies used to be here have long since been looted, crates overturned and broken open, tables smashed, and other similar wanton destruction.

The stairs to the second floor are behind what must have once been the main counter. There are also stairs to a basement found there.

Froak is clearly excited to go, and breaks into a wide froggy grin at Verrian. "It will be a call like has never been heard!"

He puts a hand to his broad chin, stroking it in thought, mimicking a gesture he saw someone use. "Though it is not the right season. It may be that I need to stretch my voice first. And... any females nearby will surely be confused."

"Let’s just go," he says to Verrian. "Too many thoughts get in the way of the doing of a thing!"

Ember looks down the stairs. It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

Elora and Ember

As you walk down the stairs, you notice a line of glass orbs set partway into the ceiling. You recognize them as a common pre-War light source: they were manufactured just about everywhere, and many of them are still in use back in Meriava. They're a clever mix of spell and engineering -- a Light spell inside a specially-coated glass orb that would reflect and emit the light for months on end without having to recast the spell or use a Permanency spell. These, however, are clearly beyond their useful life, and may have even been deliberately shattered.

Your light sources are enough to see around the room at the bottom of the stairs. Clearly a storage room, and just as clearly long since looted just as the main floor was. You could probably find a few random bits of equipment if you chose to search for a little while, maybe some rope or a few extra sacks or similar things. Many of the cabinets and shelves have been pulled off the walls or knocked over, though one large shelving unit still stands upright against one wall.