(Can Lia hear the others at all?)

Lia tries to shake off the awful feeling, and gives Applecross a smile. "Don't worry, I'm a lover of stories too." She thinks for a moment before answering. "Well, I'm not sure I could decide. The count charming me was certainly quite a sickly feeling, one I never hope to experience again," she begins, with a half-pleading glance at Applecross "but such a sensation is difficult to compare to the times I've watched good people get hurt, the worst of it being Mr Dory's death, and Hatch taking my place with the count. Apples and oranges, you know?"

Hatch is concerned that the door is locked, and like a cautious paladin dies he casts Detect Evil and Good.

Spell description - For the duration, you know if there is an aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, or undead within 30 feet of you, as well as where the creature is located. Similarly, you know if there is a place or object within 30 feet of you that has been magically consecrated or desecrated.

The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

(I'm assuming the barriers aren't thick enough or the room big enough to miss detecting Applecross)

"Thanks anyways, you have already helped me a lot." Lok shouts over his shoulder to Willagee as he starts moving towards the door.

The barbarian heads to the main room, and asks around for Hatch and Barok.

Assuming that somebody points him in the right direction, Lok will start heading upstairs to the others. 

Lok finds Hatch, Throm and Barok on the second floor standing outside a door. Throm looks like he is about to ram the door down and charge inside, Hatch seems to be praying, and the aged dwarf just stands there placidly watching the scene.

@Hatch: you detect a single presence in range, but it is NOT behind the door you are all standing at. The impression you get is that it is coming from the next floor up, about ten doors down from here.

(Lia can't hear the others yet)
Applecross slaps his knee in glee at Lia's mention of Hatch, and laughs: Oh, how that vampire enjoyed that blood! I must say we did not expect that, or that the Count should cry in quite that way. Lost me a wager, too. Applecross moves as if to wipe a tear from his eye, although there are no tears on his red fiendish skin. Dory's death was an easy one, though funny that he should take his own life in the end. But you won't solve this one so easy. That dra- er, that dwarf is one of the most honest creatures you'll ever meet. The half-dwarf/half-demon stretches his wings again and looks briefly over at Bentley who is still motionless on the floor. Tell me another story! We have plenty of time. Your friends will have to bash down every door in the lodge before they find us here! Ha! I'm so clever!

Hatch frowned and grabbed Lok and Barok. "I think there's nothing beyond that door that Throm can't handle either alone or with just one of us alongside, but I detected a presence up there one storey and about ten doors that way," Hatch said, physically pointing at the spot. "And I don't think it's a good presence either. One or both of you follow me, because something ain't right up stairs," he finished before rushing off in that direction. He shouted for Throm to head after them once he knocked the door down and either found Lia or didn't.

Throm was ready to follow through the door not break it down. He figured Lok would be the battering ram. Remember, Throm is the agile ranged fighter. He’s not meant to be front line. So, when it was decided to investigate another floor, Throm will of course follow while checking his access to his rapier, hand crossbow and bolts.

Even though he was pretty sure this was the room he helped Lia to, he was also pretty sure that it wasn’t that long ago this tavern didn’t have 3 floors.

"Well, you do seem very clever. Did you say you were her favourite?" Lia asks sincerely. "And who is this dwarf you're talking about?" she adds. "Now, a story... a one where bad things happen..." A very sombre look crosses her face.

"Once upon a time, in a small human village by the sea, an elven merchant passed through, trying to sell his wares, but all he gave away was his heart. The human and the merchant fell in love, and they wished to be wed at once. But the people of the small town were very closed minded towards couples of their kind, and some of the bad people in that town set out in the dark of the new moon, sneaking about until they arrived at the woman's house, and took the elven merchant and killed him. But little did they know that woman would now bare his child, and when the child was born, they killed the woman too. They sent the child to live with the woman's mother, where the child was abused and neglected, not allowed to go play with the other children or go to the local school." She stops abruptly, looking at Applecross.

"Well, I suppose the story gets happier from here, so you don't want to hear the rest."

So all four were rushing to where Hatch sensed the presence with his spell then. Here's hoping his spell sensed the fiend who has Lia trapped then! And not some other presence.

"We should make sure, besides I can be a great Battering Ram!" Lok yelled after Hatch and the others as they ran after the presence that Hatch noticed.

Lok will first attempt to break down the locked door, while they investigate that other presence. 

(I assume a strength check to break down the door?)

Strength: 15 

Assuming that the door bent but didn’t break, Throm pats Lok on the shoulder and said,

”Nice try, big guy. But once we find the right room we should ask Willagee for a skeleton key.”

There have been three floors ever since the vampire cried. Throm definitely helped bring Lia to a second-floor room, and he is certain this is the one. So either she is still in there or has been moved. Lok thumps his shoulder into the door, but hits it a little too close to the frame where it is strongest, and it doesn't budge.

Applecross grunts his approval of Lia's story, snickering at each mention of murder, but adds: Well, sometimes a happy story helps set up a more tragic ending. But if it ends happy then I don't want to hear it. The best stories of all are where bad things happen and they NEVER end. Like the one you're in! Getting Aurinax to admit he lied will take you forever.

Whenever Hatch reaches the room he felt the presence he would take out his two battleaxes and start swinging them at the door.

(I took a level of fighter for Two Weapon fighting style and I took the feat Dual Wielding instead of a stat increase at 4 paladin just to use two battleaxes at full force)

(I roll anything to slash the door down?)

Quote from Vakanai >>

 

(I roll anything to slash the door down?)

Sure, just normal attack and damage rolls

Attack 8

Damage 5

Attack 16

Damage 5

(I assume I roll separate attacks for each axe)

The first axe thunks off the woodwork, but the second one splinters the door and penetrates through. Another solid hit and the door will be demolished.

Applecross has barely finished his last sentence when the axes hit the door, startling him and Lia, as well as Bentley who jolts upright (apparently he's been awake for some time). How did they ... They couldn't have...  the fiend blabbers as he jumps down from the bed. He looks rather comical with his stubby dwarven legs, almost like they are too short to properly keep his wings from dragging on the ground. Oh drat, I was so enjoying our little chat.

(Oh, I just remembered ... you're supposed to 'level up' at the start of each 'chapter', so everyone is now Level 7. Fast progression, I know)

Throm draws his hand crossbow and positions himself away from the door in the hallway in a place where he can shoot into the room, if it suddenly opens. He readies his attacks if a hostile appears at the door.

Hatch continues his attack on the door!

Attack 17

Damage 10

Attack 24

Damage 4

The axes continue to rip chunks from the wood, but still don't succeed in demolishing the door.   :)

Lia sees Applecross walk over to the door and unlock it.

Hatch either doesn't hear the door unlock or doesn't want to give it the time. He keeps chopping.

Attack 13

Damage 8

Attack 7

Damage 3

Lia stands up, and, after hearing Applecross say earlier that it was her friends who were looking for her, she calls out, as loud as she can manage. "It's alright! I'm ok!"