"I was just saying...", Jan mutters, before following quickly.

Marrin stands in the doorway as she sees Jan dart away.

She looks behind her at the empty deck and shakes her head while muttering,

"These people."

Turning back she heads after the other two,

"Come on Ula. Life threatening risk awaits."

She is clearly not enthusiastic in her pursuit,  but pursue she does.

Once down she casts light on her boot for Ethel's benefit.

Ava's rage leaves her body and she watches as her friends reluctantly follow her down and she realizes how reckless she was being, "Sorry guys... um, did we want to try the door or the trapdoor?"

"Avaria," Ethel says in an admonishing tone, "you must not run off alone like that.  We have no idea what other threats lie in wait here, nor the true layout of the lower levels of this ship.  Getting separated here could mean death."

Ethel nods in appreciation to Marrin, and then casts light on her own walking stick, providing a second light source to illuminate the space.  "Would the cargo hold be on the very bottom level, or the middle level?  I am still getting used to traveling by ship."

"I'm a new sailor as well but I would guess the mid-level since it would be easier to hoist in and out the cargo, but since this seemed to be special cargo they might have put it at the bottom."

She gives a shrug and will look to Jan, who seems to have had the most boat experience.

Avaria is still shifted and her tail goes between her legs as Ethel reprimands her.  She thinks back to the trouble her wizard friend got them in in the mansion with her deep desire for information, but decides to hold her tongue.

Impatient after everything, Avaria heads to the door and tries to open it.

Jan gives a considering shrug. "At the very least, we ought to sweep the mid level before heading any deeper, I'm not looking to get cut off down there by a swarm of dead."

Avaria's keen senses fight through the smell of rotting meat as she tests the door. It doesn't move. She notices rusty iron spikes have damaged the door and frame. She may have to put some muscle into this one (Athletics DC 15) or take an axe to the door itself.

"There is also that room up top with who knows what surprises. Could be the special chest was kept there? Honestly it could be anywhere."

If Marrin notices the door has rusty spikes keeping it closed.

"Oh, well that isn't a promising sign considering this side of the door was filled with zombies."

She'll lean in to listen at the door.

Perception: 8

Straightening,

"I don't hear anything, maybe they were to keep the zombies in?"

Avaria waits for Marrin to get out of the way and then puts her shoulder into opening the door. 

Athletics 20

With what Marrin said, she's ready for more zombies...

The smell in the room and Avaria pounding her shoulder into the door overwhelm Marrin's senses and she indeed doesn't hear anything on the other side of the door.

Avaria lays into the door and at first it doesn't budge but the damage around the edges from the spikes had reduced its integrity. After a second, the edges just split and the door crumples under Avaria's strength.

Avaria finds herself standing in the doorway looking into the next part of the ship.

The floor of this chamber is covered with runes that appear written in blood. A circle has been carved into the floor’s wooden planks and what looks to be a large painted eye dominates the center.

Standing in the center of the circle, looking quite calm and relaxed, and unsurprised by the smashing in of the door is a muscular looking half-orc.

"Why would you defile this shrine?" the half-orc asks as he examines Avaria with some curiosity.

Stunned by the sight of what is in front of her, Avaria finds herself speechless.  She looks from the circle to the man and to the runes in blood.  Finally she responds, "How did I defile the shrine?  I just opened the.. wait, who are you?  Are you the reason for all these undead?"

Marrin peeks in around Ava as best she can to see if the half-orc looks to be armed before stepping back to give the other room.

((Oh, and Marrin would have retrieved her dagger!))

Jan would be taking position to have a clean shot on the half-orc.

“The Life Bringer and Lord of Silence is responsible for all,” the half-orc says. “Now get off my ship.”

He raises his arms up and you all notice movement from the shadows in the room.

Two foul, familiar looking humanoid creatures rise up out of the dark to the left and right of a doorway in the opposite wall; hairless ghouls with sharp teeth and jagged claws.

Another figure rises from the dark to the right of Avaria. Dressed in tattered robes, its fists wrapped in long ribbons of rotting cloth, this one looks like another zombie yet different. The movement of its limbs is quick and steady and far more alarming than the clumsy zombies from the upper deck.

---------------------------------------------------------- 

Initiatives please.

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HO - Half Orc; G1 & G2 - Ghouls; SZ - Super Zombie

Avaria is ready: 21 initiative

Jan: 18

Initiative: 8

((And as a reminder @Stark, Ava's still got a d6 of bardic inspiration!))

((I made no changes to the post? It was a 19. Think I am going to start rolling in the fame log going forward. ))