Hiding behind a dusty heavy cloak meant for foul weather, Wes watches the two defenders. The older, perhaps from the psychic blow, seems more panicked. Or rather, the other man is remarkably relaxed about what just happened.

"What was that? How many are there? I didn't see them!"

"Three of them, waiting for us. Suppose they're like us, but invaders."

"They must have got the sentry up top! Argh. There must be more of them."

"Guess Ceo didn't lock the trapdoor, luck be damned. I just came down. I don't hear a fight upstairs. No, wait. I don't hear anything."

"Kaedin! What are you doing!?"

The older one walks quickly across the room to the hall, stopping at the stairway leading up, repeating himself with a hand to his mouth as though to project it, following with a mildly weaker "...say something?!" He looks back at the younger man with uncertainty and dread, with only silence from the building. If the party is hammering the door or otherwise making a racket, they ignore it.

"Well, what do we do now Sir? Maybe... we should go up and look. Or run out the front, warn the manor guard? Real heavy morning fog out there. No good answer."

"Ah... give me a second! Huh... Morning?"

"Yeah, sun's up. They got magic, but faking that? Wouldn't believe it... Okay, sir, time's up. What're we doing?"

"Argh, to the others. Our job is to warn the guard, but if they got the sentry and the back door, they'll be watching the front too. We'll need the others to make a break for it. Okay? Hurry."

"Alright."

The older fellow heads up the stairs purposefully, sword drawn. The door is latched with an affixed wood latch that slides from the door into a metal rung on the wall, which Wes can easily dislodge given a couple rounds. An assortment of gear is scattered about the edge of the room, parchment in stacks and overflowing from boxes.

The younger defender leisurely walks around the desk, lightly touching one of the cuts Anahn made. He takes a crowbar hidden beneath some papers, forces open one of the drawers, reaches in, shuffling around to pull out a pipe. He examines it briefly, grabbing a candle to light it. He takes a draw from it, then walks to the base of the stairs, listening for the other man. Silence ensues. He takes another long draw of the pipe, lowering his head, facing away from the door.

Coming back to himself Van will instruct Wes to stay still and silent. I'll quickly and very quietly relay the info about a sentry up top first as I back against the wall to not be seen from above and ask the rest of the party to do the same. He'll then give a quick summary of those he saw and info about the guard and the backdoor.

    Anahn will scan the building whose door just closed on him, attempting to look for an alternate exit/entrance that the party can use to sneak in or so they can keep watch of it and ensure those inside do not try to sneak out the back or side doors.

Perception?:19

or

Investigation:14

(wait just saw Van’s post above, lmk if there’s nothing else to find and he caught everything of note).

 From this point of view, there's not much else to find.

(psst, remember your consumables)

Van whispers to the party "We should make a plan quickly. Possibly cover the back door. Since I have a 'man' inside perhaps we could convince them to surrender based on some inside information we have? What do you guys think?" 

Amandil thought quickly. On the one hand, he didn't feel particularly interested in getting in there. On the other, his throbbing foot urged him to get back at the man who was so hostile to them. He nodded to Van and said "Yes. It's worth a try. Play along..."

He cast a simple spell, a minor illusion cantrip to create the sound of a booming voice. "You're surrounded and we have this place locked down with magic! Come out with your hands up and we'll spare your lives!"

“Think of yourselves boys and live to see another day! The world doesn’t reward fools!” Anahn will shout in as menacing a voice as possible.

(Help Amandil?)

I'll let the party know I'm trancing out again to see and hear their reaction through Wes. But before I do I give Amamdil Bardic Inspiration

(Haha, playing like cops against cops. Brilliant!)

Wes sees the man still dragging on the pipe, not obsessively, but as though deep in thought. He turns to the door at the shouting, and slowly walks to it, raising his head before responding with a yell.

"Forgot to bring a battering ram? Looks like wizards from all worlds spend all their heads on spells and forget the simple stuff. Think I like this door between us for now. I also like that you're offering a chance to live." Another pause, raising his hand to lean against the door and wall, lowering his head in thought again. "You asked if I worked for Lillaeas. Looking for treasure, it's like you thought the war was over. Could tell by the look on your faces, you're not just invaders."

He turns, pulling on a heavy cabinet in front of the door. He unlatches and opens the door until it hits it, just enough for him to peer out. The smoke from his pipe smells good and relaxing those who enjoy such things. "How 'bout we go back to talking? Is the war over? Just a minute ago it was the middle of the night. What happened?"

Edit: Wes is in that cabinet, and the defender sees him! However, he simply eyes Wes curiously for a moment, then shakes his head and dismisses him with a wave of his hand. "Little thief, I'll deal with you later."

 “Lillaeas saved you all. They felled the Holy Emperor, the alliance was successful. We are no invaders but simply visitors, and only got violent because we thought you were hostile as well. Who are you?” Anahn says to the closed door in front. 

"Constable Endaelin Teylec. I only got violent because I thought we were at war. Sorry to say, but, what do you mean, Lillaeas saved us all? I don't know half of what you're talking about. Emperors are the stuff of tales and history books... If you're just visitors, how about a little something to break the ice? My pipe here for, hm. A taste of your water. Sure could use a moment to calm down."

Van is nodding to himself starting to piece things together. The torch coming to life being the first clue. These folks thinking it was night being another. He'll have to discuss this with his friends when he gets a chance in the meantime he mage hand a waterskin to the door, still standing off to the side and says "Help yourself. I'm not a smoker myself but one of my friends may wish to partake"

He continues "This may come as a bit of a shock, but you've been, shall we say, stuck for a time. Which is why it seemed to suddenly turn to day. I think you'll find we have much to discuss"

Endaelin accepts the waterskin, offering the pipe to any who would have some. "Thank you. I was raised here, in this big town. Have a sister, she works with accessories, you know, hats and things. She has a few kids now, all to the same father. They're good folk, like the others in the town. Used to have a bunch like you. We didn't always call them outsiders. That was only when the war started. Once had to put a kid's dog down because it didn't like the smell of a foreign lady. Funny how quickly people's ideas of who's decent and what's dangerous can change when an enemy gets an identity. Most folks can't defend themselves, so they get scared easily. Then we were raided about forty days ago. Maybe more." He goes quiet for a while.

"Let's talk about you. Got someone back home waiting for you?"

"Well, don't let me keep you. Truth is, something upstairs has me spooked more than you. If you're adventurers, maybe you should check it out." He pushes aside the drawer to open the door.

     Anahn takes the pipe from Endaelin and will take a respectable puff while keeping an eye on the stranger near him. At his question about having someone back home Anahn will blush instinctively and almost under his breath as he focuses completely on the pipe, “I got a friend back home, she’s wicked smart..” he says looking to the sky with an expression of adoration. 

Hearing the door being opened and feeling a little less skittish Van moves away from the wall "Well, I've grown very fond of many folks from where I call home. Present company included but I can't say as there is that 'someone special' so to say. I suppose my studies have kind of kept me from pursuing anything like that" He scowls a bit as he thinks it over realizing it's true and having never really considered it before. "Huh" he says half to himself. Then continues "I've also sensed something up above you, or , my pet has. I believe you've met him. The weasel in the cabinet? Very mild mannered follow. If you don't mind I'll send him up to have a look about. What is it that's got you spooked?"

He offers a smile, though the pain shows in his expression. His wounds are heavy. "Good, you understand friends, maybe we can be too. Without anyone's hands up. Well, the thing up the stairs, it's just dead quiet. These days dead quiet means just dead. My senior just went up and now he's dead quiet too. That's all I know."

"About the time. Didn't so much feel like I was stuck... more like the world jumped forward."

Wes, directing his attention to the stairs up, becomes skittish, clearly not wanting to go up.

Van nods along "No, dead quiet doesn't sound good at all. I think us having a look is a good idea as well. Will you be joining us?" While Van is talking, since he can be in constant telepathy with Wes he tells him to wait at the bottom of the stairs. Van will also wait for the rest of his party to decide if going up and having a look is a good idea.

Endaelin shakes his head. "I'll be fishing out a kit to dress these wounds. Your sword fellow shaved a few years off with those cuts."

Amandil's head was spinning a bit - he had hoped to get this settled without further violence, but now things were going just a little too well. 

"Well, I'm glad we were able to straighten all this out without further violence." He wasn't about to heal the man, not without a lot more proof of his goodwill. He'd already attacked them once without any provocation, after all. Perhaps he decided that if he couldn't beat them head on, he could stab them in the back? Or make a break for it and get reinforcements.

He shrugged at the man. "Sure, we can check upstairs. But I think you should come too, just in case your men up there haven't heard that we're all friends now. You know? Don't want any more... misunderstandings."