Day 19 continued - some more.

I finish searching the room with the chest; I've looked everywhere and found nothing - I can't believe it!!! Nothing!! What sort of thieves are these... pretty damn poor I'd say!! In a huff I exit via the door Norton opened and into a room with the ladder leading to the roof. Apart from Damir there's just four plain wooden chairs and a small table in centre of room - two doors lead out - one leading back he way I came. I open the other - The 12'x25' room would have been dominated by a bed if the gaping; still smoking; hole in the wall wasn't there. I search - there's a wardrobe, a bed and some small side tables.

Nothing in the wardrobe.... there's a small concealed compartment in the beds head but it's already been looted and is still partially open..... I pause in my search for a moment and listen - I hear Damir muttering to himself in the next room - It's a comforting sound so I continue my search, the side-tables yield nothing and there's positively NO concealed compartments in the trunk of the tree.

Norton's got bored and gone up to the top of the tree leaving Banipal to watch and sets off two traps on his way - blinding lights flash but fortunately he's not blinded. Banipal sees the flashes in the tree tops and shouts "Did I mention the traps?" but Norton can't hear him!!! After his unfortunate encounter with the traps Norton decides to come back down; he manages to trigger a few traps on his way but luckily managed to be looking in the opposite direction and takes no damage, though he is slightly glare-blinded for a time.

Yuna arrives back on the first level, as it has the most room to land, with the Harpy she caught in tow - she looks very proud of herself. We truss; threaten then question the Harpy - she hasn't got any information really - she says they came here simply because it was a good nesting site - apparently there's a flock of them about 20-30Km off....too far away to fuss over.

Irith (the one who got away) has most of the stuff - Pipes of the Sewer to control the Dire Rats and perhaps other goodies but this is going nowhere so we let Rumbles kill it and move on.... Upstairs on the second level, Norton and Banipal search the nests - they find 4 potion bottles; a gold necklace; 200 GP; 4x polished stones @5GP; Bracers of defense x 8; clubs x 4; 150gp assorted coins and small gems; a feather; pair of eye coverings and a potion bottle -we can get them identified when we get back to the Inn - I think, with rest Yuna can do it for us.

Having searched the place as well as we can without disassembling it we decapitate the Harpies, gather the heads as proof and leave the rest to rot - let the thieves clean it up. Before we go I poison four of the seven water barrels and make a map, indicating which are the poisoned ones - if the guild don't pay up I won't tell them about the poisoned water.

We have an uneventful trip back through the first, as we approach its edge I notice our "friend" lurking - obviously wanting to be seen. We exchange pleasantries and show him the Harpy heads. While this is happening I stand silently, looking into the forest and listening - I catch a small movement but that's all... I don't think this is an ambush or any sort of set-up. The thief left us to wait while he went to check - it would have been fairly nasty if we were lying!!

He returned in a short while paid up - a small sack of gems which I appraise, the seem genuine. I get Norton to double check me and Yuna casts her eye over them for any indication of magic - they could be cursed or anything.... She gives us the all clear. As he leaves, I slipped the thief my map showing the position of the poisoned water barrels - this way he can use the information to his own advantage - perhaps he'll be head of the Erehwon Thieves Guild before too long!

We head back to town where we catch up with the Merchants and collect our 1,000gp from them - this has been a bit more profitable than our last expedition - the Merchants pay in gold pieces and gems (and of course Norton and I check to ensure their validity) PLUS a bonus of 3 potion bottles (CMW 1 dose per bottle).

Fairly satisfied, we head homeward to the Inn........ I'm really looking forward to a bath and LOTS of tea - I ache from all the hard climbing and I smell from those verminous harpies and their damn rats!!! I'll be happy to see the Inn again.

Back to The Inn of the Far Shore.