I roam around, around, around...

[forestcalf]

Dark clouds lay scattered low in the sky as the sun began to rise. Slowly, it lit up the clouds from below. Navy and violet clouds gave way to pinks and oranges, but nothing was so striking as the way the sun seemed to set fire to the rest of the sky. It was a beautiful, but uncommon sight in Vertiline, and it made many of the villagers of Eider

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[sonofthestorm]

Seth had been watching the sky with interest, understanding probably more than most that a storm was on it's way. The sight, combined with the fog falling back and giving him more land to roam was enough to put him in a damn good mood.

And then the shadow in the fog had appeared, catching his attention and nagging at him to go check it out. Rifle slung across his back, ammunition and his hunting knife at his side, Seth started towards the dark shape. A short, shrill whistle would bring his dog, thus far unnamed, to trot happily beside him.

What he'd first half hoped was a golem was in fact a building. Seeing as there was nothing else for him to be doing, Seth decided to check it out.

[verty_events]

The building was rather larger than a golem. Clearly a two story structure, it sat surrounded by gently sloping hills. At least, Seth might have been able to see the hills behind him or before him if it wasn't for the clouds, fog, darkness, and the rain that was starting to fall.

The wind blew through the tower, sending a low and eerie howling noise out through the front door, but besides that, it seemed completely normal.

There was nothing getting in the way of Seth's exploring, of course, seeing as the front doors were wide open.

[sonofthestorm]

It didn't take long to reach the building, his pace slowing as he neared the entrance. Wary, Seth skimmed his surroundings and slung the gun from his back, ready to use it should the need arose.

Though it seemed a quiet, empty tower, Seth had little trust in anything or anyone. He knew all too well that things were rarely as they seemed. "Steady, Hound," he muttered to the dog. "Don't do anything stupid, yeah?"

The dog responded with a few wags of it's tail and fell into step a little closer to Seth. That said, the man approached the doorway.

[verty_events]

The drops of rain seemed to be growing larger as they fell. In the distance, lightning lit up the sky behind Seth. The rumble of thunder was louder, and not all that long after the flash. For a storm, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

For a building, it too was nothing out of the ordinary. Walls of stone and simple, weather worn tiles on the roof made for a quaint appearance. The building was clearly old, but sturdy down to its foundation.

The same brass urn of unlit torches sat just inside the doorway, though nothing else could be seen beyond the heavy darkness.

[sonofthestorm]

It was dark inside; too dark for exploration should anything hostile come his way. The torches earned a glances and Seth gave his pockets a quick search. The flint he usually carried was not with him, and a dark scowl crossed his features.

"Idiot. You're a bloody idiot, Seth," he muttered, before making an effort to search the general area for something he could use to light the flame instead.

[verty_events]

Gosh, it was really dark inside.

Luckily for Seth, whoever had placed the torches at the entrance had also helpfully provided several tinderboxes inside the brass urn. Each steel box contained flint, firesteel, and a small bit of charcloth.

Of course, Seth probably wouldn't need the charcloth as the torches already had some rather oily cloth tied on with a thin, fibrous rope.

Perhaps this would help him illuminate the room.

[sonofthestorm]

And light the room he does. Smirking at his good fortune, Seth moves quickly to spark one of the torches to life. Given that he needs his hand to carry the torch, the rifle is slipped back over his shoulder. It's not something that worries him. The hunting knife on his belt is a weapon he's more than comfortable with.

Holding up the torch to better light the room, Seth looks to his surroundings.

[verty_events]

The head of the torch lights easily, and soon the whole of the main room is visible to the Called.

To his left, a long, dusty banquet table with chairs sits, undisturbed for quite some time it seems, with the lack of finger or handprints on it. Beyond it, there's a closed door.

The wall directly opposite the main doors is blank, but in the back right corner is an open door. From there, the sound of some sort of flowing water drifts out.

Against the right wall is a large bundle leaning up against a wall. It's covered in burlap.

The dust on the ground seems to be mildly disturbed. Seth doesn't appear to be the only person who's ventured inside to escape the storm.

[sonofthestorm]

The room earns a critical glance over, the man taking in as much detail as he can. That it's void of people doesn't surprise him in the slightest, but the disturbed dust on the floor does. He crouches to inspect, torch held wide to give better light and attempts to make a count of how many persons have been there before him.

[verty_events]

It's hard to tell. The dust isn't dirt. It leaves scuffs, but no clear prints. He might be able to tell the difference between Kevas' marks and those of Bruce and Terry, but it really depends on how good he is.

The wind chooses that moment to blow through the tower once more, sending the familiar, hollow sounding wail through the building once more.

Still, Seth's look through the room also reveals that there are some torch holders against the walls. There appears to be one holder for every torch in the brass urn. Perhaps more light in the room might reveal more.

[sonofthestorm]

He's a tracker back at home and has been for some time. Seth can tell enough from what he sees to know that more than one person, or creature, has crossed this same room not long before him.

"Hn. Not alone."

The words were quiet, the dog earning a quick look as he stood again. "Careful. And keep quiet."

Seth's attention turns to the closed door across from him and heads for it, curious to know why it's closed when the rest of the place is so open.

[verty_events]

The door opens with some resistance and a loud, creaking noise when Seth tries the handle. After the first foot, it swings open more easily to reveal slightly less dusty stairs the gently curve up and around to a landing out of view.

There are more torches in yet another urn just on the other side of the door, and several more holders against the left wall, but the flight of stairs is easily lit up from the fire of Seth's torch.

The sound of the wind outside is easier to hear now that the door is open. The chill seems to be coming from the top of the stairs, rather than the open front doors, however. There must be an open window somewhere up there...

[sonofthestorm]

He grabs a second torch but doesn't light it, choosing to save it for if he needs it further down the track. Slipping it through a notch in his belt, the extra torch hangs at his side. The cold doesn't bother him, but he is curious about it's source.

Seth heads for the stairs and starts his ascent.

[verty_events]

Nothing impedes Seth's progress up the stairs. The stairs themselves are solid beneath his feet. Whoever built this place certainly put a great deal of time into making sure that it would stand the test of time.

The stairs curve at the top, where there's a brief landing and two narrow windows looking out at the retreating fog. The stairs continue up from there to the small but high room of the building's tower.

Unlike the room down stairs, this one was filled with several things. Two tall armoires with double doors sat on either side of the room. Between them, a small book case on the left was filled with a few slim novels and many strange curios. Between the bookcase and one of the armoires was a small, cushioned piano bench.

What the piano bench was doing, sitting there without a piano, was anyone's guess.

[sonofthestorm]

The room earns a steady glance, brow furrowing at what he sees. It doesn't seem all that interesting to him, but he might as well poke around anyway. The empty piano table gets a nudge with his boot before he turns his attention to the book cases and what's on them.

Who knows, maybe he'll find something worth trading?

[verty_events]

The piano bench creaks ever so slightly at the nudge of his boot, an instant before the wind blows through one of the windows that appears to be missing a pane of glass. The sound is much louder there than down stairs, and the cold air rushes past Seth and down the stairs with a loud wail.

The items on the bookcase are far more interesting than a bench or a broken window, of course. Well, the books aren't. No one really wants to read Ponderous Ponderings or A History of Fungus for fun