While they eat and in as hushed tones as he can manage, Maudath nods and then begins speaking "Someone's still owed an ass kicking for setting us up last night. And, I'd guess this lot aren't here at the town speakers invitation either."

He looks around, and spots the serving girl.

"This is a vermin nest and it will be under my bushy toes if I let them stay here bullying people around," Maudath continues. "I for one would spend the night and take a look around and if it looks like we can do some housecleaning, I say we set to work."

The girl looks up to you very briefly Eve and you can clearly see terror in her eyes, but she says nothing and quickly leaves the room. 

“You get word to us, or find us, if you need out, you hear?… <sigh>”, she whispers as the girl moves away…

She frowns to herself and looks at Maudath and the others.

"I stand by what I said," Maudath responds after the girl goes away. "I'm for spending the night here and seeing what's really going on and then upending this vermin's nest."

Eve seriously considers that plan and looks across to the Professor, and the others, with a ‘should we?’ look on her face…

"Yeah sure let's go with that, i am bored beyond limits anyway, so let's all just have a great time together while WE rest.... hhmpf anyway let's go! Such slow people, they wouldn't survived a day in my old days"

((sorry Ryhunis hasn't been arrogant for far too long ))

About 20-30 min into your meal a cloaked human man with the hood pulled back enters the hall and approaches you all. With a happy smile "Your quarters have been prepared. If you are ready you may all follow me."

Maudath shovels the last few bites into his mouth and gets up to follow the happy hooded guide.

"So you like it here?" he asks as they walk. "You're part of the black knights or whatever you call yourselves? Lot of you here?"

He leads you all out of the main hall and into the snowy courtyard. Pulling up his hood  "I have found my true calling here among the Black Swords. All of my brothers and sisters are overjoyed to have you here with us."

"Good to hear," Maudath says, doing his best to not roll his eyes as he says that. "It's been quite the welcome so far. So you've all signed on with Lef . . Lev . . . this archdevil to fight gray dwarves? See a lot of action then?"

While they cross the courtyard, Maudath does his best to try and keep a running tally of how many Black Swords he sees out and about or looking out windows or on watch.

DC check if needed: 16  (+3 if perception, flat if investigation) 

The Professor has been deep in thought, trying to process this all and have it make sense. 

((The gate guard didn't seem quite so 'I've drank the Kool-aid', and the serving girl clearly had reservations, is he able to put together an estimate of roughly how many folks who seem fully bought in to the cause there are here vs ones who might be 'normal'?))

He pauses for a moment "It wasn't something that I sought out.. and I feel its been the same for most of us here. Our lord found us and saved us and in return we have found purpose in his service. I help here in the house so I cannot speak to what happens outside of the walls here."

He leads you all to the northeast tower and enters the tower. The interior is lit with a few torches and a copper brazier full of hot coals is situated in the middle of the room. Protruding from the brazier’s base is a bellows that can be pumped to reheat the dying coals.There are six cots spread around the room. A wooden staircase leads to the upper tower. 

"This room has been setup for your use, we've been instructed to not enter or bother you while you are in here. The door upstairs has been barred from the inside, to help you feel safer here." 

"Thanks," Maudath says. "It's . . . it's a room with beds."

He ushers their guide out the door and closes it then turns to the others.

"So they're not all drooling lunatics, but definitely giving off the air that this is some sort of cult. I think we should find the townspeaker and see what they've got to say about this."

He looks up the wooden staircase and looks back at the others.

"I think I'd feel safer checking on that door. Anyone want to come up upstairs with me?"

The Professor will join Maudath, in case the door inspection is more suited to a subtler approach.

Maudath nods at the Professor and climbs the stairs to find the locked door or whatever else is above them.

The upstairs is noticeable much colder due to the open windows that look out to the cliffs and Lac Dinneshere beyond that on one side and the interior courtyard on the other. These windows are not much more than about 8 inches wide and 18 inches tall. There is a single wooden chair in here and a door that has a board slid into place holding it from opening inward. 

When the boys go and check upstairs, Eve checks the beds and around the room. She begins by picking a bed and bouncing on it once or twice, then she does a thorough check of the bedroom for any nasty surprises (with Ipkiss’s help?).

Investigation check (if needed? / with adv.): 14 (+1 if perception)

The Professor will peer out each of the windows in turn.

While the Professor looks out the windows, Maudath lifts the bar off the door and opens it, looking out to see what's on the otherside.

"What's your take, Professor?" Maudath asks.

Maudath may not be the smartest of the group, but he's smart enough to have learned that where his first instinct is to just punch his problem in the face or to sneak in undercover of darkness and take what he wants, listening to the Professor's assessment of what's going on can save a lot of effort.

"This place seems like it could use a good housecleaning." 

"Secluded tower, with one way in and out... they've got us bottled up good, but they seem to want our help. We cause a ruckus now, we've got a long way to go to get free. I say we play their game against the grey dwarves for now, but learn what we can about what their aims are in the meantime. Might be we want to be able to use that against them in the future."