"Let's go open it now," Avan replies. "Everyone should come along, I don't think any enemies will hear us through the doors."

When the party's in agreement, the Jackal will go to the rear in squares AG42 - AH43 and Avan will stand behind the front line fighters by placing himself in AE43.

  Katharina pads silently along on the balls of her feet.  Her eyes scan to and fro looking at all that they pass. A small smile is on her face aa she does enjoy her work   

Whispering up to Kat, "What do you see?"

Bastion nods, and files back down the passage to the door discovered before. He lets Rivoril take the lead in checking it out, but is ready to pop to the fore if need be.

Staying about 10 feet back of the doors, and off to one side, Kixarn readies his sling and magics, in case something untoward happens. Korvus remains on his shoulder, peering into the rear distances behind the party, just in case.

  Katharina turns back to Ghanima and responds in a whisper," Nothing yet.  " She continues moving as silently as possible.   

Rivoril, finds himself back down in front of the two doors down the end of the corridor once more. He will immediately make an attempt at picking locks, and also checking for traps.

Rivoril move silently# 14

 Rivoril disable trap#  19

 Rivoril open lock# 13

Specific action: Unlocking doors specifically at AD42 and AE42

Rivoril has no trouble picking the lock and soon the door is able to be opened.  Rivoril opens the door to reveal a room that is 30 feet by 30 feet.  Inside you see a dirty table in the center that is blood stained with manacles that are chained to the walls.  All the manacles are currently empty.

Avan lowers his guard and heads in. He wipes the blood between his fingers, trying to judge how old it is and any other information he can glean from here.

Heal: 15

Survival: 30

He thoroughly searches the room, particularly East and West walls for secret passages.

Search: 29

Katharina and Ghanima soon make it back to the main avenue and follow it deeper into the ruined city.  After about a half hour ahead you see about a 1/4 mile away a large stronghold type building.  As you slowly get nearer to it I will need spot and listen checks from both of you.  it is nice and dark out now.

Main group:  Avan does not find any secret passageways  Plus as far as he can determine is the blood on the table is very old in the darker stains but there is some fresher blood at least within the last week to few days.

   Katharina continues to move ahead stealthily.  She studies their surroundings carefully as they near the imposing structure.  The tall redhead walks with a kukri in each hand at the ready.  

Bastion looks to the fresher bloodstains with regret. If only they'd secured the villagers better, those captives might never have been taken. Then of course with what happened afterwards, a speedy rescue was made impossible, making rescue at all seem like a distant possibility.

No point in dwelling on such things though, the task now is to end this problem before it claims more lives.

If nothing more is found in here of interest, he'll nod to the next door.

Avan feels a flash of anger, but then hope dawns on him. "Most of this blood is old. This may be just a torture room, we may still have a chance to find the captured villagers. Even the most recent blood doesn't match up with when the last few were captured. But we should hurry, the whole dungeon probably knows we're here."

He goes to line up at the next door, in AB 32 42 with the jackal in AD42-AE43.

Rivoril, makes an attempt to open the other door, in AB32.

#open lock 17

#check for traps 12

"I'm thinking maybe the other group cleared this already and that's why it's clear, maybe that big building over there is where they headed? I would," Ghanima says as she follows ten feet back.

I just wanted to make a correction for Rivoril's current position. He is not checking/unlocking the door located at AD42. He is checking/unlocking door located at AB44, or AA44 whichever is applicable. Also moving silently, doing it!  

* Because this proved to be one room, with a set of double doors. Assuming, that the other door/s may be similar.

Move silently # 17

Katharina and Ghanima continue to approach the big stronghold they can see ahead of them.  As they get closer Ghanima sees a couple figures hidden across from an opening in the wall of the stronghold. 

Main group  Rivoril heads over to the next door and finds that it is unlocked.  Opening the door you see a scene like the other door with a room that is 30 by 30.  The table inside however has a figure strapped down to it.  There are three other figures manacled to chains attached to the wall.  They seem slumped in their chains.  (x marks their spots)

I wordlessly motion to Kat and point with my loaded crossbow bolt at the figures.

Using Divine Vigor, I ready to spring into action.

Bastion peeks within, "Well now, there's a surprise. Let's get them down. Be cautious, we don't know what has been done to them." Bastion will stand guard, watching for trouble as others help the apparent survivors.

  She nods at her companion and advances quietly in her blood in the water stance.   Her kukris are hidden down along her legs.