----- The stone building looms before them quiet as a temple sanctuary. The large window opening is very dark in contrast to the bright sunshine of the day. Raven and Thalog carefully step up to the door to the left of the window.
-----As they enter through the door, they see a large room nearly fifty feet across. Inside it is dark and dank. Strewn about are pieces of old boards and benches. Natural tree trunk pillars support the ceiling overhead, all dark with age.
-----To the left, in the northwest corner, are the remains of an old wooden bar. It is obvious this place used to be a tavern. On the opposite wall is an old stone fireplace.
-----To the right, underneath the large window the orcs crawled through, looks to be a small pot and rags that don't seem as dusty as the old broken furniture. The dust on the floor seems disturbed by the recent passing of the humanoids.
-----While the pair search inside the building, Rand hears an orc mutter something. He looks at them and sees the orc wearing the skullcap staring at the skinny orc with hate in his eyes. The skinny orc does not return the look, instead looking down at its feet.
-----The body of the paladin lies still, breathing slowly.
-----Thalog sniffs the air, "It smells like wet paper in here." He crosses over in front of the large window opening. Outside he can see Rand looking over the orcs and Arliss. As he looks down, Thalog's eyes adjust momentarily to the shadowed dimness. He then gets a better look at the small pot and rags.
-----First, he notices there are three small soiled rags. They seem to be stiffened by a dark, grainy material that stains them. Next, he looks at the small pot. It seems to be about six inches in diameter and half of that in height. The pot looks to be made of some type of metal.
-----As he pushes it with his staff to get a better look at it in the light, the pot spills over. From it slowly flows a brownish, syrupy liquid. Thalog takes a step back, but nothing alarming occurs with the spill.
-----Raven moves across the dusty floor looking at the footprints left behind by the orcish troop. The wood in the flooring creaks and slightly moans beneath his feet. He pauses momentarily to let his eyes adjust in the dimness.
-----The passing of the humanoids seems to have left a trail, which starts from behind the bar and widens out as the mass of orcs assembled in this room. Carefully Raven walks toward the far wall in order to look behind the bar. Here, away from the window and shadowed by the bar, the room is darkest.
-----The space behind the bar is about ten feet wide. Peering into the shadows, Raven sees nothing at first. Then he makes out what looks like a thick board roughly two feet by five feet leaning against the wall. As he cautiously steps forward, he realizes it is a trap door propped open. Before it a pitch-dark opening is uncovered leading to somewhere below.
-----Raven says in a low voice, "Thalog." Raven then points to the floor in front of him and motions for Thalog to come over. Raven switches his sword to his left hand and then crouches to try to peer down the
open trap door. Raven listens intensely for any sounds.
-----The area below is totally dark and no sound is heard. It is impossible to tell how big the cellar is. The only thing that comes to Raven's senses is the orcish smell that seems heavy in the air. It is the same kind of scent that was on the humanoid's cloak that he wore earlier.
-----"Raven, I have found a substance very similar to the poison on the orc blade. It requires a moment of study." Thalog then begins to study the substances very carefully.
-----Thalog walks over to Raven and says, "The components I found are used to make a debilitating and paralytic poison. Depending on the potency, Arliss could be out for hours or days. There is no cure because the poison will pass though his system without further harm, unless Rand has the power to cure him of course." As Thalog mentions his companion, he gives a quick check out the window for Rand. He can still see Rand standing over the huddled orcs and the body of their fallen comrade.
-----Thalog now examines the trap door Raven found as he listens to his response.
-----Raven nods, "Good work. Look for something we can use for light." Raven looks around the room. He sees many old splinted boards. Some are broken and rotted, but all are made of dry wood. He goes over and takes a large piece of wood and then wraps a strip of cloth at one end. He then pulls out his flint and steel and proceeds to light the makeshift torch.
-----Soon a flame begins to flicker causing the old wood to crackle as it burns into the makeshift torch. Raven brings the light up over the opening in the floor. He and Thalog can see down into the narrow passage. There appears to be steps of a small stairway leading down into a cellar area.
-----Raven turns to Thalog, "I'll go first. Cover my back." Raven holds the torch in his left hand and a sword in the other. He then slowly starts to walk down the stairs.
-----Thalog says nothing but grabs Raven's arm only for a moment to stop his descent into the basement. Then Thalog removes a piece of finely cured leather from the folds of his robes with his left hand while his right hand hovers in circles over his chest. Thalog then whispers, "Romra fo noitcetorp eth evig" so that only Raven can hear. The leather vanishes from Thalog's hand. A faint blue glow emanates from his body for a moment before fading away. Thalog readies his staff then turns to Raven with a nod of willingness.