Or what had been it. With some very brief investigation disgarded clothes were found. It took time to carefully avoid the smaller spiders, likely the newest born of whatever arachnid queen had taken over this void. But they did eventually manage to find an identifying marker. A pair of glasses that had unmistakably belonged to a guard called Godric. He was known for his shcolarly persuits and had even been to the mansion a few times to go through the library. Even Stare knew vaguely who he was and she gazed at it stunned, from the safe distance from the spiders.

"And the horses?"

"Found some corpses of them a little over," Narlan gestured to the east. "Carl spotted an odd shape ... Hooves mostly."

Vitruvion sighed and nodded, a brief look of annoyance fluttering over his face.

"Raevin, you will arrange the usual compensation for the families on return to Beinost," he said quietly.

The brown haired elf nodded, looking as dissatisfied. "Of course sir."

For a while longer the god looked at the sprawl of the spiders and the building.

"At least .. the Guild members are likely dead?"

"Yes," Vitruvion said quietly. "Indeed."

There was a collective breath, then the god turned around, his back to the death and destruction. Suddenly he began to stride away, purposeful and fast. The rest were left there, confused before they looked to one another and made the only decision they could. Desperately they ran, pushing muscle to go and catch up with the man who collectively paid them. Even Stare, lost in a whirlwind of bemusement, hastened after, soon though becoming the first ahead.

They gathered around Vitruvion, but he said nothing. By the tension on his face it was clear they should say nothing, and thus they all followed, following the light thuds of his feet and his cane. Onwards they went, into the breach and back out of the forest.

This time, as a spider shrieked and lunged for them from the darkness, Vitruvion simply lifted up his cane and swung it at it. The beast stopped dead, still and frozen in a rise as they hustled past - then it crumbled to dust as if it had never been anything. A second had its neck broken a second after it hissed at them. It too crumbled to nothing, and they went on. Stunned silence was all he received in thanks.

They got to the edge of the forest. Vitruvion stopped and looked out over the town. He breathed, jaw set and not saying anything as the party around him began to filter out. Small gestures between them and they passed the objects of value, such as Godric's glasses. Stare stood all the while, awkward and uncertain, little idea of what was going on.

"Sir?"

It was Raevin. The only one truly bold enough to stand up and ask him.

"Hmm?" Vitruvion blinked a little, then gave him a terse glance. "What?"

"What are we doing now?" he murmured.

There was an awkward silence. Nobody tried to look at Vitruvion and Raevin, apart from Stare who was frowning at the back of her god's head.

Vitruvion paused before nodding down the hill. "I need to speak with you alone, Raevin," he said quietly. And quickly he strode, heading for a small levelling plain. Raevin shot Stare a cautionary glance, and then twisted to run after. Leaving the rest of them there, confused and unsure.

"Eh ... Lady Stare?"

She looked back to see raised brows from the mercenary guards.

"Don't look at me for answers," she replied, twisting around. She looked left and right, along the edge of the forest, before she saw the bundle of horses, thankfully not touched by spiders. Sen was there, scratching at the earth and digging up some tuber or other. "I'm going there," she nodded and started over.

It did not take long for them to decide to follow, leaving Vitruvion and Raevin to have their quiet, private words.