“What’s going on up there?” Syzygy hisses as he follows. 

Jurgen dashes up the stairs as fast (and as far) as he can.

OOC: 

reroll for readied action: 17 to hit for 6 damage

Quinn crouches behind a crate of beaver pelts and takes aim at the secret door to the east where the wizard fled through. It remains half-ajar and quiet.

Kimberley scans the area from the top of the stairs, but sees little, her adrenalin perhaps getting in the way of her ability to stop and fully look. Syzygy climbs up behind her, as does Jurgen, who squeezes by and into the storeroom.

Aros goes in the opposite direction, taking the southern staircase up into the cavern. (Dash) As he prepares to cross the northern bridge, Ssarnak clambers out of the crevasse, its clawed fingers dripping with blood. It stands in Aros' way, giving him a funny look.
Aros: Make a DC16 Deception check to keep the presence out of your mind.
"The little stick-carrier implores Ssarnak to waylay any pursuers," Aros hears in his head. "But you feed Ssarnak, too, do you not? What does Ssarnak do? Quite a dilemma."

Everyone may act.

Aros struggles to grasp the voice entering his mind for a second. “Um… I have more food for you if you would like. There are a number of bodies in the rooms over here. You would be able to feast for some time.”

Deception: 11

Aros can feel SSarnak's presence rummaging through his memories, his secrets, like it were a curio shop. Finally, Ssarnak says "The stick-carrier is scared and doesn't appreciate the  chasing." But Ssarnak steps aside, leaving room for Aros to pass.

The rest of you begin to gather in the storeroom, from which the staff-wielding wizard and his unsettling little friend have very recently fled through the half-closed secret door toward the crypts.

Everyone may act.

“I’ll open the door. Prepare yourselves.” Quinn says in a low hushed voice. 

Quinn switches to his battle axe and slowly walks towards the door. He shoves it open with his boot prepares and moves back a step or two to provide line of sight of anything that emerges. 

Jurgen, upon entering the room looks about and not seeing anything or anyone asks "What was it and where did it go?"

Bryony catches up to the others, slightly out of breath from all the fighting and now the running. "I wish this stupid wizard would just surrender," she mutters.

Quinn kicks the secret door open on the east side of the storeroom. All remains quiet. 

Kimberley headed towards Quinn, looking through she said, " Did they go straight ahead or through the crypt do you think?"

Seeing his compatriots emerge, Aros asks Ssarnak, “Where did the stick-carrier go?”

"Perhaps straight. Remember what Droop said about the hall next to the skeleton room. Stick to the walls."

Quinn takes a step towards the door leading east. 

(OOC: If I recall correctly, I believe this door was locked?)

He reaches for the key that he found on the bugbear and attempts to the unlock the door.

IF the key fits and turns, Quinn will turn the knob to open the door but stopping short of opening it completely. Instead he will push it open the rest of the way with the head of his battle axe.

Jurgen is ready to go at the door with Quinn

Ssarnak replies, telepathically, to Aros: "Who knows? Probably to the harsh world of sunshine and sky above. Ssarnak prefers our cozy dark cracks and tasty bloody snacks."

Quinn finds the bugbear's key indeed fits the locked door. He unlocks it and then gingerly swings it open with his axe. Inside, he finds a small, darkened, and musty-smelling armory. Racks of weapons line the walls of this small, unoccupied chamber, including spears, swords, crossbows, and bolts. A dozen dirty red cloaks hang from hooks by the door.

Kimberly moves into the crypt and towards the double doors skirting the walls as she remembers Droops words but not which room they applied to....she studiously avoids looking at the skeletons and keeps her red cloak close.

Quinn peers into the room. It appears empty, but he's not so quick to rush to judgment since we're dealing with some sort of magic user. He scans the floor looking for blood or tracks sort. He makes sure his back is to the wall just in case there's any hidden trapdoors in the floor.

Perception check: 8

Kimberley moves into the crypt. The propped-up-looking skeletons in rusty mail are perfectly still, as if they've been standing there for decades. She approaches the double doors. She finds it difficult to skirt the walls of this room, as it is lined with large stone sarcophagi and moldering skeletons.

Quinn examines the floor of the small armory. It is dark, and the floor is filthy, but he sees nothing in the way of blood or tracks. The weapon racks hold spears, shortswords, longswords, light crossbows, and quivers full of bolts. A few of the weapons look especially well-made, with fancy pommels and inlaid designs.

“Thank you, Ssarnak. Like I said before, those rooms have a number of bodies for you to eat.” Aros leaves to rejoin his companions. As he approaches, he informs them of what Ssarnak told him. He heads in to the crypt with Kimberly and begins studying the coffins he hadn’t checked before.

Kimberley tries to open the double doors desperate to find the Redbrand leader ( though to be fair she is only chasing second hand information and he? may be no one of import) before reinforcements are contacted.....