Stoatorian Guard Open The Trenches The Prodigal Son Returns

[Caden S. Freemont]

"Where to get a rotten egg on such short notice?" Caden mused as he continued towards the office in question. "Oh. That...that changes things."

There was no longer a door where he had remembered at the end of the hall. Instead there was an alcove bearing several pieces of artwork and a standing suit of armor. A large oil painting depicting a battle from a forgotten age dominated one of the walls. The artist had put a great deal of work into the blood and horrific expressions upon the faces of the dying. Caden pulled his gaze away and checked his surroundings. Was this even the right hallway? It had been some time, perhaps he had misremembered. Within the alcove, if one were to stand at just the right angle, they were lost to view from those in the hallway.

He stroked his whiskers, tail flicking. "I could have sworn--"

He paused and squinted harder at the painting, then at the ornate, gold-flecked frame. "I remember this painting. Used to be in the Captain of the Guard's office. Gates, can you imagine looking at that every day?"

 

[Eirene Liu]

Eirene approached the newfound dead end, her eyes scanning the alcove curiously. The art and armor was an interesting touch, presenting just enough to draw the eye to pull it away from... There. A seam, very carefully hidden behind some moulding.

"You know," she commented, "in Hanshiman we have a saying: wu ren feng men, kai men bi yao. It means 'no one seals a door: to open a door is very useful'." She hesitated before admitting, "It is more poetic in my tongue. De point is, de door is still here, we just have to open it somehow." She stepped forward and started examining the armor, looking for any wires or joints in the articulation that might indicate a lever.