Helio's athletics check: 18

Catherine breaks off from her tussle with her attacker, Sieghart easilly dodges out of the way from his attacker, and Helio lowers her shoulder and knocks the last threat to the ground. The Lord begins to back up by the time you all get close, but you can still throw your spear, Arlo.

After Arlo makes his attack you all will end at the closed front gate

Arlo hurls his spear.

Attack: 13 Damage: 6

You release the spear and it soars between two stone spindles of the balcony railing, barely finding its mark. You hear a yelp of pain as he vanishes from sight and you hear the sound of the double doors slam shut into the house.

Now that you all are before the home you take notice that this is probably the largest and most refined structure you've seen in town. Surround the property is a 6 ft high, wrought iron gate. There is no perceicable lock baring your entrance onto the property. There is about 25 ft between the gate and the home. The building extends 60 ft in each direction with 3 tall windows lining both wings. The entrance is a pair of double doors made of very well crafted dark wood and decently sized ornate lanterns hanging on either side.

Helio and Nox share a long loom at each other before Helio says,

"Once we get through these gates, Nox and I will do our best to keep it closed and prevent the townsfolk from entering. It's best to single him out than have a horde burst into the place and out number us. The rest of you all need to get in there and take that guy out. Maybe it will release whatever control he has on these people."

Catherine, you notice there is no blood on either you ax nor yourself from the wound you inflicted on the guy. In you rage you glossed over the fact that no bodily fluids were a result of the gash you gave him.

Lucas eyes the gate at the end of the road. 

athletics 12

Are you aiming to jump it with athletics?

Sieghart looks at Nox and Helios.

"Alright, but no unnecessary risks. We’re all making it through this."

He then runs to the gate and tries to push it open.

"Of course", Nox replies as she starts pulling out hempen rope and a crowbar. "Hopefully we can just loop this rope around the gate bars and bind it tight enough with the crowbar that nobody can push in. If push comes to shove, we'll fend them off while slowly making our way to the door."

Sieghart, the gates have a bit of resistance from their weight, but they swing open nonetheless with a loud rusty squeak. You all rush to the door while Helio and Nox begin binding the gates together. The townsfolk are around 50 ft from the property by the time you get in.

Arlo looks for any sign of anyone inside the building

perception 8

Lucas follows Arlo inside.

Since the ''Lord'' was on the balcony, Sieghart will look for a way to get to the upper floors.

Catherine rushes ahead with her companions, prepared to batter the doors to the building if they are barred.

"It is too large. How will we find him?" she growls in frustration.

The balcony has two support pillars that create a sheltered entrance to the home. Unfortunately there is no way up short of using a grappling hook.

Arlo wiggles the door lever. Not feeling as if it's locked he opens the door, and everyone starts to file in. The foyer is large and is crafted of warm colored cherry wood work. The entrance room opens into a larger hall with three ornate chandeliers linning the vaulted ceiling. A mezzanine walks all the way around the long hall lined with a beautiful marble railing. Walking further you see two sets of stairs on either side the lead straight up to the second floor in the opposite direction. The first floor walls are filled with frescos and ornately bordered mirrors. Red velvet couches are set up as what looks like a visitors waiting area with side tables and candelabras. Two doors are on both sides of the hall the lead to unknown areas.

As you all begin scanning the hall for where to go first a voice calls out, seemingly answering Catherine's question,

"You'll need not look too hard... I am Lord Errostra Orbid. You may address me as Lord Orbid. Answer me this. Who are you? Why are you here? And from where do you hail?"

Despite the visible wound left by Arlo's spear that grazed the top of his shoulder, he asks bemused.

Up close, Lord Errostra appears gaunt and pale. He is wearing black robes with a strange symol on it stitched in white. His slicked back hair is jet black with shocks of white on either side of his head. He has a jagged scar from the left corner of his mouth to his ear and is clean shaven. What draws the majority of the attention are his glowing sickly green eyes.

Happy looks at the Lord thoroughly and says:

"How about you answer our questions first. Why are you here? What is all this? This place should be no more than ruins yet it is a City populated by your mind slaves."

He gives a short breathy chuckle followed by an amused smirk before repling,

"Mind slaves, that's an interesting view. I am here because this is my land, and this place is Vil'malish, reborn. I've worked hard to get it to this point, and I now have outsiders poking their noses in. Your turn. Who, why, where." 

Arlo looks up at him, trying to determine if the green eyes are a sign of possession, power being exuded from him, or has some other arcane cause.  Arcana 5

"Lord Orbid, we are pathfinders.  We are exploring untamed wilds.  You can imagine our surprise at finding someone here, and more surprised to find out they murdered and captured others of our people.  Surely you can see that this will not go unanswered."

Arlo:

He looks at you thoughtfully before replying,

"I came to this island for the sole purpose of seclusion. My manner of work is not welcome in most of the world, so to find individuals from the empire walking my streets and asking if others had arrived, well I had no choice. I cannot have a decade of hard, painstaking work flit away over night. Now, you had answered the why, but I failed to hear the who and where. Judging by all of your garbs I can gather the empire, but I prefer your more recent origins. My talk with your companion did not go as planned last night (directing this comment towards you, Lucas). He was a bit stubborn, but he is agreeable now."

Sieghart raises his blade in Lord Orbid's direction.

''If you fled the empire because your work is deemed forbidden, I'm afraid you'll be no longer welcome here in Ror'nav either. You will release these people or face the consequences. Same goes for any prisoner you are holding here.''

Arlo says quietly to the others.  "Keep an eye out for his staff.  I believe that will be our objective."

"That tiefling there was my only prisoner (nodding towards Lucas), so that's one demand complete. As for my subjects; releasing them would undermine my goals... I have two offers, and I will preface them with this: You currently have the entirety of the town converging on this location with the sole purpose of your capture. I see two of your companions are missing and I hear banging on my front gate. With time your friends efforts shall fail. First offer: Leave my town, never return, and remove yourselves and anyone else you associate with off this island. I care not how this would be accomplished. Second offer: Willingly join me. You'd not be subjugated to any mind controlling magic or my other process. You'd live in this mansion and provided for. You all seem capable enough to replace my current guards... or a strike force... That last part sounds fun. I suppose there should be a third option to cover the spectrum. Death. Well, undeath would be more applicable I suppose. What say you?"

He finishes his offer with a cocked eyebrow and waits expectantly for a response, all the while raising his right hand and positions his fingers in a way to prepare a snapping motion.

Arlo starts heading through doors looking for stairs leading up.