Argentus:

     "Understood," says Argentus, leading his horse through the open doorway and looking inside for a place to make it comfortable.  As the light fades, he pulls out his tinderbox and lights a torch, raising it high enough to light his way, but keeping far enough back so Finn could glide forward at the edge of the darkness.

Stealth:     7

Perception:    17

     After they get the horses squared away, Finn pauses with Argentus to plan their movement.  She makes sure they are straight on how far back Argentus should stay with the light, some basic hand signals, and such.  Finn isn’t used to working with a partner so she tries to be a bit meticulous…

     “And if I shout an obscenity and come running towards you, that’s our signal to flee…”

     Once it was all set and clear, Finn would slowly start heading in the direction that seems to lead into the fort.  She would go slowly and carefully, pausing at each door, turn or intersection before proceeding, and signaling Argentus to do likewise.  Truth be told, she’s hoping to find someone..   this is just spooky all empty and locked up!

Stealth: 11
Perception: 12
…

The space just within the door serves moderately well as a place to tie up the horses, securing them such that an easy egress might be accomplished, should the need arise, without causing too much of a stir in the process. 

Finn leading forward, she heads to the edge of the boxy chamber where the horses now contentedly snuffle and shift in the cooling air, and looks out onto a snow-covered courtyard, with staircases leading several low steps up to hallways along the outer wall. A few mice nearby take scarce notice of her passing as she begins to skirt along the outer edge, circling a wide stone basin in the center of the courtyard that is currently choked with snow. The far side of the courtyard, facing north, features another tall, sheer wall speckled with arrow slits and small windows, though no further gates impede your progress. Above the wall, a singular tower with a window facing south above you still shines out a lantern with a golden, unblinking twinkle. Two obvious, if ominous, tunnels lead off of the courtyard, one of which appears to be blockaded shut with crumbled masonry and piled rubble. The other tunnel shows frequent use, if the discoloration and upset of the surrounding snow is any indication, though making out more in the growing twilight is becoming increasingly difficult. There are many braziers half-buried in snow, as well as regular sconces along the walls for torches, though none are lit, leaving the courtyard to fade rather quickly into a frigid gloom.

Two guardrooms lie on either side of the chamber where your horses are housed, with doors broken open and hanging ajar though with no obvious recent foot traffic. 

     Finn attempts to be as methodical as possible while proceeding.  She checks the closest areas first, not wanting to leave something behind her that she hasn't given a once over first.  So first Finn quietly creeps over to the guardrooms, often looking back to make sure Argentus is still back there and following, going in each to poke around and do some quick investigation.  She's not exactly looking to loot the room, though not exactly going to overlook pocketing something worthwhile that is sitting out in the open.  Moreso she is going in each to see if there is signs of life, of death, or of battle - that kind of thing.  Frankly she's finding this all as creepy as a Lich in clown makeup and a sailor costume and she really is hoping to just figure out if the place was hit by a localized apocalypse or if it's just Ed the Guard's 50th birthday and they're all just in the coffee room having ice cream cake to celebrate.

((By all means re-direct Finn to one of the unblocked tunnel if that's actually closer, but I believe not. If which guardroom is looked into first matters, then the one most to the north or the east... ))

     At each room, after a quick listen and glance inside, Finn would then signal Argentus to come up closer to guard the door and/or be ready to rush in if needed before Finn herself goes inside...

Argentus:

"That Finn is a stealthy one!  If I weren't looking directly at her when she hid, I would have no idea where she was!" thinks Argentus appreciatively.  Following her lead, he slowly moves forward when indicated and keeps an eye out for any threats or clues as to why this purported prison seems abandoned--at least at the gatehouse.

Perception:  12

After the guardhouses are cleared, Argentus whispers to Finn, "I don't like this at all.  Poor discipline for guarding a prison or the aftermath of an attack--either way, very disturbing."  he looks towards the obvious hallway on the other side of the courtyard and says, "Let's go when you are ready."

     "Way disturbing," Finn agrees.  "This cannot just be slack discipline... Something must have happened here."

     Looking around at the emptiness of all signs of current life Finn shivers involuntarily.  "Question is did it happen and end... or is it still happening?"  

Argentus:

"It seems too quiet here for an active battle to be underway, yet the threat may still be within these walls.  We should proceed as swiftly as caution will allow," responds Argentus quietly, holding his torch and preparing to follow Finn deeper into the seemingly abandoned prison.

A quick glance into the guard room reveals, perhaps, what Finn feared she might find. Originally, this room might have comfortably housed as many of twenty of the Runia's sturdy guardians. It seems, however, that at least that many met there end in this room alone - ransacked and disheveled, the floors and walls feature dark stains of what can only be blood spilled for every inch of ground given, or possibly taken. There are no bodies in evidence, though the signs of a powerful, close-quarters melee are unmistakable. The stench alone, much reduced by at least several days of exposure to the mountain's elements, fumes redly with the tang of iron and gore.

The other guard room seems to tell a similar story, though by a brief examination it seems as though fewer were slain in this particular chamber - perhaps due to a surprise assault on those within. No valuables are in evidence in either chamber, though certainly weapons and armor were once kept there in readiness.

When you continue your circuit, you pass by the rubble-blocked entrance and note several pairs of smallish footprints in the snow, roughly of dwarf-size and shape, given your familiarity with the subject. They seem to patrol out to the blocked entrance and return, and given the depth of the paces, you can infer that this is a regular pattern. 

The cold begins to set in now that the evening gloom is in full effect, and you approach the open tunnel and peer within. it proceeds straight as far as you can see (which is not far, given the lighting) into the mountainside and angled slightly down - every few paces, a wide and shallow step takes you a few inches lower than the courtyard beyond.

Argentus:

”Could all this death be driven by the corruption of those strange coins?” asks the Karhu tribesman as he follows Finn quietly down the shallow steps.  “Wild animals would have left some pieces of the corpses as they fed, and the door was still locked when we arrived.  This must be the work of an intelligent foe who did not wish to display the manner of the guards’ death and wanted the prison to appear undisturbed from the outside,” he muses.

     Finn certainly does not want to appear to be looting from the dark scene of so much death but she will unabashedly take between 4-8 extra daggers if she sees them laying around.  "Maybe need to chuck them at whatever did this," she would say simply with a shrug.  Though in the quick going through she would keep her eye out for any rapiers which seemed superior to hers (though these are likely basic, standard fair issued to civil servants) as well as some armor that could be an upgrade (studded leather) that she may want to consider commandeering before they leave if there is time.

     "Let's not jump to conclusions just yet," Finn cautions when Argentus brings up the coins and an intelligent foe.  "This certainly isn't typical animals, for sure.  But there could be a huge dragon sized hole on the other side of the fort still.  Or perhaps that tunnel was collapsed to trap something?  It is curious though... if any survived, where are they?  If none survived, why so little signs of looting or destruction...  I do worry for our guide though."

     Finn does pause to study the tracks in the snow near the collapsed tunnel.  It looks like a patrol, but does it seem like a recent patrol?  Is the path created frozen on all sides, or is some of the walls created still softer snow as if freshly crushed down?  (Nature or Survival, same roll - 9 )

     "If someone has been checking on this collapse it would seem they were looking for something, right?  Making sure something can't get in that way?  Or still trapped under it?" Finn again shivers.  "Intelligent foe or not, I think the guards at least thought it persistent."

     As the pair begin entering the second tunnel, Finn has second thoughts about their plan.  "It may be best to just stay close.  Now that we know there's bloodshed involved I think safety in numbers may be important..."

Argentus:

”Agreed,” says Argentus simply as he moves in to walk side-by-side with Finn.  “If I am to have my weapon out and ready, it may be best if you carry the torch,” suggests the tribesman, moving to hand her the light source as he reaches for his two-handed longspear.

Walking quietly stealth:  2

(oh goody!)

     Finn has no problem taking the torch in one hand and carrying her rapier in the other.  "Shhhh!" she remind Argentus, but she fears that may have come too late.

21 - Just in case Finn's Stealth can help cover Argentus'...  :D

Finn, you are able to scrounge two extra daggers (regular daggers of Runian design - sturdy, but uninspired) from the room, though the rest appear to have been in use when this room was, to put it lightly, cleared out.

As you approach the second tunnel, Argentus, well accustomed to walking over and through packed snow, steps off the beaten tracks lightly as he approaches. What he could not have known is how even the ground beneath that snow truly was, and so he stumbles with a surprisingly loud crackle of gear and heavy impact. Of greater concern, however, is what he dislodged - a round stone or chunk of ice ricochet's off the wall and tumbles down the steps with a sharp report. It comes to rest three steps down, its echoes still ringing in your ears, when Finn notices the oddly familiar shape of the object. A rounded top, a squarish bottom, with two familiar dark spots and a crosshatch of teeth grinning up at you in ceaseless, uncomedic mirth.

A skull, frozen solid, rattles to a stop about a quarter of the way down the tunnel.

Argentus:

"Uh...sorry about that.  It seems the going is more treacherous than I anticipated."  Pausing to listen for any reaction to the echoing noise, Argentus continues forward after a moment, his spear out and ready.

Perception:  21

A raspy voice whispers up the tunnel.

"Who is there?"

Argentus:

Abashed by his clumsiness, Argentus looks to Finn to answer the question, not knowing if just straightforwardly announcing himself would be the best move at this point and worried about making two mistakes in a row...

     Finn turns and is about to make some quip about Argentus being as quiet as a Rhinoceros in plate mail but just as she turns her heard she hears the voice....

     Finn looks to Argentus, turns and looks down the tunnel as best she can, then turns to Argentus again and shrugs.  She mouths the words "What do I say?" in exaggerated motions but sees that Argentus is at as much of a loss as she is.

     "Umm...  A visitor...  I'm Finn Of'Gren.  I mean no harm...  Umm, who are you?  'Cause there was nobody at the door and so I just kind of walked in...?" Finn said slowly and calmly despite the panic inside of her.  She did her best to think about the words, if they sounded...  She didn't even know.  How would know the voice of a strange guard from some evil necromancer who wiped out an entire fort on a whim?  Meanwhile she did try to move slowly towards the right hand side of the tunnel but being careful not to advance.  No need to frighten whatever was in there.

"You should not be here. It is not safe. Why did you come here?" rasps the voice.

A figure appears at the bottom of the stairs as far as you can see them, and appears to look up towards you. It is difficult to make out any additional details about the figure due to the gloom and distance (DC 15 perception check!)

Argentus:

Perception:  15

”I am Argentus of the northern Karhu tribe.  My companion and I are here to question a prisoner on orders of the Prince of Runia.  I was given to understand this is a working prison, but it appears to be…in disrepair.  Who are you?” responds Argentus plainly, straining to see the figure at the edge of the dim torchlight.