Charlie reached the bottom of the ladder last and stood in silence observing as the others conversed. Something didn't feel right and he couldn't put his finger on it. He paced around the room staring down the totem and watched as Tamra felt for something. The feeling in his stomach dropped and he just needed to get out of here. He grabbed his staff and a candle from the room. He then proceeded with haste to the steps and slowly, carefully, silently walked down them...

While the rest of the group descended into the tower, Arnold tucked his mace back into its designated belt loop and secured his shield over his back once more. He took a moment to contemplate the two unconscious men sharing the roof with him, before he set to work sitting them up against one of the many parapets. Once there, he removed their shirts and belts and fashioned the clothing into a length of makeshift rope.
He wasn’t particularly concerned with their health, but he knew that they were likely to wake up eventually, and if he could delay whatever their first actions would be, the better. So he bound them to the parapet in a way that would prevent them from untying themselves. Not easily, at the least.

Satisfied, he stepped into view of Hollis, waved to signal his wellbeing to the boatman, and made his way through the trapdoor and into the room below—his back turned to what was happening inside.

Charlie screamed in agony as he was taken off guard by the fiery monster. He quickly hushed himself as he wrestles to break free, all the while his skin cooked and singed.

"Companions!" He shouted as he fought to break the tight grips on his legs and torso. "Help!" He groaned and slammed his arms against the fire as he twisted and wriggled in pain.

Takao pulled out his sword from his enemy's body after realizing that everybody had gathered in the same room, and another monster appeared. He charged at the fireball aiming at Charlie, slashing downwards to the fire mob.

Ronan seemed to have been rather attracted or interested in Tamra’s holy symbol, perhaps because of simple aesthetic really. It looked, interesting. This interest did not particularly last very long as fire seemed to come to life to a degree. Attacking towards Charlie. Ronan had rather noticed such, perhaps not immediately but quickly enough. He quickly went to move to grab something to combat the fiery hands, doubting that a sword would help all too much. Instead grabbing at and pulling out his water skin, which was of course filled with the opposing element.

It was by the time that Charlie had called out from help and that Takao had drawn attacked their sword that Ronan was prepared to take action. Ronan was rather afraid that the sword swing would instead hit Charlie, but had failed to voice this thought. Ronan would do his best to splash some of the water toward the fire that was heading toward Charlie’s back and hoped that it would also splash down toward the other heading toward Charlie’s leg. Ronan didn’t want to waste all of the water after all, if it could be helped.

"Whew," Takao heaved a sigh of relief after that small skirmish, but still alert to that candle flame. For whatever it is, it must be suspicious, he's ready to be cutting whatever that would be coming out.

Charlie groaned, that stung. He straightened himself and gestured towards the others near him.

"Thank you, now let's move on." Short as usual, he wasn't much for words. Charlie blocked the burn pain out of his mind, and instead focused on the coolness of the water dripping down himself. He then lead on into the abyss, hopefully no more fire monsters decided to make him their roasted victim.

Ronan let out a sigh of relief seeing as the attack was over and the fire had disappeared once the water had hit them. He quickly slipped the water skin away, and looked to the group at hand. It was probably not best to rebuke them, but he was growing more worried about the on goings. Besides, it seems he was having more trouble with their names currently. Despite this, he would move onward with a bit of a talking too. He somewhat held back from talking to Takao of how they may have ended up cutting Charlie considering the things were made of flame instead of what looked like solid material. They were a man of the sword and thus were quickly to use it which could be a good trait in emergency situations or surprises in body. Not to say it wouldn't bother him.

He would immediately move forward to grab the monk and stop Charlie moving too far ahead. “But darn the cursed candle.” Ronan would growl out in worry, trying his best not to shout but his voice would likely come out as a bit loud. “Let us pull out some of our own torches if we need or..” Ronan would look to Tamra, the person with the interesting symbol assumingly around their neck. Assuming the fireballs or light earlier which had ruined his approach was still there and it was Tamra’s for best he knew. “You,……sorry the name doesn’t come to mind but can you move the light on your own, or try and have it follow ...you…” Ronan would gestured to the group best he could, trying to exclude himself from the selection. Since he, did not wish to stick directly into the light itself.

It seemed worry had overtook Ronan as he would currently fail to perceive the current surroundings and lighting in them but either way the point felt like it should be made. “we have prepared or at least should have some equipment with us to at least lend out a torch and travel further in.” Ronan said quietly with a mixture of an annoyed and worried groan. His attention would turn back toward Charlie.

Seeing that the others were preparing to head down the stairs, Tamra waved them ahead. "I'm right behind you," she said, then allowed her curiosity at the book's magic to compel her. Just a quick look was surely warranted. After all, it could have a clue as to the whereabouts of this Black Pearl that they sought...

"A list of names?" she wondered aloud as she opened the heavy cover and flipped through a few of the pages. Many names were drawn through with a line of black ink. The ones not drawn through each have a small code written next to them.

About to close the book again and proceed after the others, the name of one of her companions caught her eye... "Charlie Axland" That was it, wasn't it? She was fairly certain she remembered the name of the monk from their initial introductions. "You're in the book!" she said excitedly.

Charlie nodded at the notion to use their own devices...

"I will lead alone." Charlie said. This candle already brought enough pain. And if by staying out of the light his companions were safer, then so be it. He then perked up at the sound of his name. He stared at Tamra with intent.

"What do you mean." He tried to remain as calm and stoic as possible, this journey was getting stranger by the minute and they haven't even gone down yet. He then walked to meet Tamra so they wouldn't have to speak any louder than necessary. Who knows what could be hiding in the shadows.

"Here, see," she said and pointed to his name, written halfway down a page near the front of the book, amongst other names, many of which were crossed through with a single horizontal line of ink.

Baruch Ahearn
Myra Alden N9
Zev Alhberg
Lila Anker
Ralph Anker
Nathaniel Appleton
Arnold Ardalans E12
Mia Ardalans
Grover Arkwright W8
Ellis Årud E31
Lance Atterberry
Charlie Axland S29
Loretta Azarola W25
Rivka Baardsson
Terrance Babcock N11
Noah Bager
Jared Banks
Marc Bello E6
Rhys Bello E4
Efraim Bentson S20
Cassidy Bergfaulk
Arthur Blom W18

"A registry of some sort, perhaps?" she wondered.

Up until this point, Arnold had been busy finally getting to the bottom of the ladder and fussing with the corpse of the dead man he’d found at the bottom, tucking it away in a corner where it wouldn’t be a bother. He tried to search him for anything useful, but couldn’t find anything of use, and promptly gave up. That was when he heard the exchange between Tamra and Charlie, which piqued his curiosity and brought him over to have a look in the book as well.

“Perhaps,” Arnold chimed in, a bit hesitant, before pointing to his name on the page, “My name is in this book as well.” He pursed his lips as he looked at the name just below his own. “So is my sister’s,” he muttered, looking away from the page, back to Charlie and Tamra, “And I can attest to it that she’s dearly departed. Those who’ve perished have had their names struck through, most like.”

Tamra's eyes followed Arnold's finger to his name, frowning in thought, but nodding slightly when he spoke of his sister. "I am sorry to hear that," she said softly, noting the tone of grief in that muttered statement.

"Though if both of you are in here... are we all?" she thumbed through the book, an easy enough task since the names were in alphabetical order, locating Ronan's and then her own:

Ronan Hippe N22

Tamra Windraven S17

She looked toward Takao, not remembering his surname. Or indeed if he had even mentioned it when they had been introduced. "What's your last name Takao?"

@Noodles

"Parshall" the young mercenary answered and Tamra flipped the pages again and found his name.

Takao Parshall W13

The woman read the name and number aloud, then pondered aloud, "Seems like all the codes start with an E, an N, an S, or a W." She ran her finger down several more pages, nodding in confirmation that she found no exceptions to those letters.

"Ah well, time to move on, I suppose," she said reluctantly, tearing her eyes away from the mystery of the book.

Ronan tried to calm himself after the bit of lecture but it did not seem to get fully through to the monk! Which made Ronan rather upset and somewhat mumbling to himself as he sought out to prepare one of his own torches. His attention shifted rather more upon his worry than the mentioning of having some names inside the book. It was likely just some kind of, magical record anyways of which names appeared, similar to some bounties Ronan had enact in the past that required a wise mage’s power to ensure that the task was done. He hadn’t a clue how they worked, just that they did.

He set pulled out a torch and took the time to light it with flint and steel from his tinderbox, rather slow in the action from being somewhat upset. Sending Arnold a sideways glance as he chimed in, one that had a twinge of irritancy in it but not focused directly. He had little interest in the book as he would aim to light the torch and shove it against Charlie. “If you’re going to lead, use this.” Ronan would state not wanting to deal with a possibly cursed candle.

“Codes?” Ronan would look back over to Tamra, now interested in what the book may contain. “N,S,E or W..” Ronan repeated in a different order. “Where are the codes in the book? Are the codes next to the names?” Ronan asked, deciding not to bother with walking over and looking into the book himself and seeming as names were already mentioned in the book, he was curious if there was a more direct relation to something or other.

Charlie took the torch and set the candle down nearby, as he struggled in deep thought. Why on earth...

"They could be coordinates of some kind? North, south, east, west. Check the bindings of book? There may be a key of some kind."

He sighed, and turned to the group. " The stairs are blown so I assume once we go down we will need another way back..."

Charlie peered back once more at the book trying to remember a pattern. One thing broke any attempt he thought of. "Why don't the deceased have a code?"

Tamra checked the book bindings as Charlie asked. "Nothing that I see here," she said, pondering the same question that was on the monk's mind. "Maybe they had one while alive?"

She let her hand linger on the book, closing her eyes, feeling the slight tingle of the enchantment. She stayed like that long enough that the others might start to get impatient before her eyes open again and she lifted away her hand. "All I can tell is that the book is tied to the candles."