Not Today, Death!

As they enter the dark room, Salvia approaches the closed door with a finger up to her lips, urging everyone to be quiet. She holds her ear against the door, hoping her elven Keen Hearing helps her determine if anyone is outside in the hallway or nearby. As she moves in the darkness toward the door, she casts Into the Darkness (see below) so she knows the location of other shadows with 15 yards of her, ostensibly in the hallway, or other nearby rooms.

Also, as she shadow steps into the hallway, she can become invisible if she sees that there is someone there or nearby. She can keep doing this, for up to a minute, taking the lead as advance scout as the group moves through the house toward Crumble and, hopefully, the book he stole!

Salvia gestures to the others to remain quiet but to proceed. She quietly pushes open the door and heads away from the kitchen, trying to triangulate on the … squelching sounds. She is ready to leap from shadow to shadow and become invisible if and when needed of course.

Hermann enacts an old inquisitor trick, as he slips out of the room they had used to enter the house. If something in here meant them harm, then he’d sense them!

Kade squeezes through the hole, making sure his axe isn't caught as he does. He stands a few yards away from his stealthier companions. He nods to Salvia to indicate that he'll be right behind them.

Winter has been following along with the group, silent and stoic. Upon spotting the tracks, she examines them for insights.

Salvia approaches the door quietly. She closes her eyes and can sense any spots of dim light to darkness within 15 yards, including beyond this door. She could step into a shadow and out in the room, and immediately become invisible. So if or when the others enter, she is already in there and will be able to launch a surprise attack from behind as the occupant turns to face the door! She shares her idea with the others is a whisper and nods at Arne. Assuming folks plan to enter the room this or next turn, and assuming they agree with her plan, she does it, using her Into the Darkness ability a second time!

Target sensed, Hermann wastes no time making good on the plan. No sooner than the elf is gone, Hermann is breaching the door, rapier drawn!

"Do not try to hide! You can not escape me!" he announces, turning his heightened senses towards the figure he had tracked the short space!

"It’s time to cease this ordeal!" he says, crossing to apprehend the figure!

Kade listen to Salvia and nods, he pulls out his axe and follows Hermann inside. Trying to look big and menacing next to his companion, hopefully they'll surrender without a fight.

"Look out!" Winter shouts. In an instant, her bow is nocked and arrow sails towards the mud man.

"What happened with regular thugs," Kade sighs seeing another strange creature. He rushes forward to see if his axe can do anything to it.

Hermann’s rapier is whipped up in an instant, and is sent piercing through sand and muck. The small blade would surely do nothing against such a creature, but it was instinct more than anything.

Salvia stands in a shadowy corner, invisible. She watches as her friends begin to attack the mod creature -- surely this is what pummeled the poor soul they saw previously. But where is Crumb? She scans the area, still benefitting form her Wizard sight, which lets her see anything magical AND anything invisible in the area.

From her hiding place, she lays a hand upon her grimoire, channeling an augmentation, and then calls forth the most destructive magics she knows, attempting to Disassemble the mud man before her!

Salvia steps out of a shadow in the back of the room, previously invisible and unnoticed. She reaches out her hands, intoning arcane words. She forms two fists aimed at the mud man and, as her invocation reaches it climax, she tears apart her hands, throwing them in opposite directions.

When she does so, the mud man explodes into a collection of large chunks that fly off in every direction, splatting and squishing over everything with a satisfying squelch. She knocks the dust off her hands, daintily steps over several mud globs, and looks up at her friends with a smile.

She says, "Ok gentlemen, now that that’s taken care of, I believe I hear Crumble elsewhere, no doubt in a panic. See to him, would you?" Behind the others, Arne looks on with a smirk, shaking his head.

"Aye!" is all Kade says before he rushes in the direction they could hear the slammed door.

Winter swiftly moves in that direction as well.