The Hidden Hallway

World of Rynaga Travelogue

Silentwood Forest, Veratar

Arcan was feeling confident in his assessment of the burnt ruin of a house which stood before us. Yet, when I mentioned finding a secret doorway about 100 yards away from the house, intrigue was yet again in command of his thoughts.

“A secret doorway?”

“Yes, follow me."

I had found it by mistake. While Arcan surveyed the ruin, I tried to get a sense of which direction the suspected arsonists came to the house from. Then, I tripped over something. Looking down I saw a lock and brushing away the foliage, I saw a rectangular doorway along the lines of a cellar door.

“Here it is. It’s locked, but no doubt it’s a door.” Arcan knelt down, looking at it and the surrounding grass.

“We could pick the lock, and by we I mean I could pick the lock." Arcan grinned with sarcasm. "Yet, if we do so, we could encounter a trap which the owner may have in place to ward off thieves. Not to mention we’ll be in violation of law.” Arcan rubbed his chin and we stood thinking.

After a minute or so, without a word Arcan looked around through the trees and then knelt down. Producing a lock pick from his pocket he set to work opening the door. Half an hour later (and a few Sidrani curses later), we climbing down a ladder into an underground room.

“Due to the fact this doorway was so well hidden from sight, I determined the owner of this place would not have gone through the trouble of setting a trap too. Never assume that during your own travels Eric.” said Arcan.

We were now standing in a long hallway, dimly lit by radia nodes which gave off a pleasant blue light. Both sides of the hall were lined with shelves. On the shelves were objects of all kinds such as journals, weapons, radia stones and volumes of books with titles such as The Paragon Cast, Legion Intiative – Myth and Fact, History of Etherna and Life of Mordaire Kahl. Each was accompanied by small tags which were dated, numbered and branded with an official looking seal.

“I don’t believe it.” Arcan stood at one of the shelves looking surprised.

“What?” I walked over to him.

Arcan laughed. “I hold in my hand a letter from the Sidrani council in Phaedra. There's a reason Dain lived out here in relative seclusion and dared to have dealings with dark traders. It seems our friend Dain is a very important person in the eyes of the Protectorate. He’s a spy. He’s a Protectorate spy.”