[IC] The Lost City

[Imaro]

http://i.imgur.com/Qe7wV.jpg

The expedition set out from the city of Wendar, northward into the frigid winter wastes, when unsteady footing and an unnatural wind shook loose the hillside and sent your group tumbling into the valley below. Now you must find shelter or meet your end in the wintry blizzard.

In the aftermath of the avalanche, you four have all found your way to the nearest source of shelter: a large ruined city, in the center a pyramidal tower with three imposing stone statues standing, their eyes ablaze with an eerie green light. At further inspection, the statues are of three of the Korrigan Immortals: Thor the Fiery Champion, the nameless Verdant Virgin, and Bragi the Divine Singer, the first with a hammer and lightning bolt in his hands, the second with a sickle-sword and sheaf in her arms, and the final carrying a harp.

As Leogold, Eric, Hickory, and Darvan make their way toward the tower, the group's Dwarven monk makes note of a secret entrance carved into the side of the stair, the stone slab hiding the entryway propped open by the frozen, pallid corpse of a goblin garbed in chromed leather armor, a large crossbow bolt sunk deep in its chest. The goblin seems to have been dead several weeks, as far as Hickory can tell.

http://i.imgur.com/B84GWD7.png

Your party is just outside Point A on the map above.

[RandomWombat]

Crouching off to the side of the door, Hickory examined the corpse of the goblin. "Been dead for a while. Couple o' weeks by the looks of it. The cold makes 'em decompose slower. Wonder if 'e got shot, or if 'e triggered something opening this door here." The man stood up and tapped his axe on the door from his position off to the side. Stepping around to climb up the stairs, he shielded his face against the icy winds and examined the area above to see what was there.

[Imaro]

@Hickory
Your axe plinks harmlessly against the stone. Maybe if you used a little force, you'd be able to scratch up the stone...and ruin your blade. But nothing happens as you tap against the door, which looks like it could be pushed open with little issue.
Up the stairs is a pedestal where stand the three 30-foot god statues, all carved to be garbed in fancy Elven-style robes, and arranged side-by-side, facing the south, east, and west. Around the base is a lot of snow and some weeds. All around, you are able to make out nothing but the mountainous range above, and the coniferous forests to the west and north. Doesn't look like the wintry blizzard is letting up anytime soon, but a second glance at the statues reveals the eyes are indeed hollow, and the light is coming from within. The statues, however, don't show any sign of being hollow themselves.

It seems like the ruin used to stand taller, judging by the way the snow and earth jut up and smother the stone, as if having grown OVER the intricately-carved stone depicting faces and leaf patterns.

[Eulalios]

Earc na Ruadh

The burly ginger lad fidgets under a heavy wool cloak. Though he's contrived to wrap it all about himself, it's evident he'd like to be snugger than he is. "I do NOT like those glowing green eyes," he says loudly. "Scary elfy crap. But I want out of this wind, it's freezing my stones."

Gripping his magely staff in both hands, ready to thump, he puts his leading shoulder to the door, and shoves through into the dim passage beyond.

[Imaro]

Inside, the room is barely lit by the green glow of light emanating from an adjoining room down the hallway. At the end of the hall, you're able to see an unloaded crossbow with several mechanisms set to the door's hinges. Looks like that goblin made a great service to you all for springing that trap!

This level of the ruin is a single 40' square room. An old and musty stench hits your nostrils as you proceed. The snow and dust on the smooth-hewn stone floor has been disturbed, though no special details can be made out. Three huge bronze cylinders reach from the floor to the ceiling in the middle of the room. In the center of each cylinder, facing you at floor level, is a bronze door. Each door has a bronze handle that
can be used to pull the door open.

What do you do?

@The others
You're growing really cold in this storm, and hunger is beginning to set in thanks to your bodies' extended attempts at keeping you from freezing to death.

If you enter the ruin: read Earc's spoilers.

[Eulalios]

This level of the ruin is a single 40' square room. An old and musty stench hits your nostrils as you proceed. The snow and dust on the smooth-hewn stone floor has been disturbed, though no special details can be made out. Three huge bronze cylinders reach from the floor to the ceiling in the middle of the room. In the center of each cylinder, facing you at floor level, is a bronze door. Each door has a bronze handle that
can be used to pull the door open.

What do you do?

The young fellow examines the crossbow trap, cursing under his breath and trying to figure whether he can detach the bow from the mechanism.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory S. Baikon

Returning to the door, Hickory followed the larger man inside, cautiously peering around the corner of the hallway. There was a green glow from no immediately apparent source, and the room ahead seemed empty. Going back to the goblin, he attempted to pull out the crossbow bolt from its chest, and searched it for anything interesting or useful. Even something completely useless could be thrown to trigger things, since this place was apparently trapped.

[Eulalios]

Earc

Leaving the crossbow for a moment, Earc goes out to bring his pony in from the wind. Its breath and shivering quickly warm the passage as he continues to work at removing the crossbow from its mechanism.

[roll0]

[Imaro]

The young fellow examines the crossbow trap, cursing under his breath and trying to figure whether he can detach the bow from the mechanism.

You are successfully able to detach the bow from its stringings without damaging the object itself, save for a slight scratch along the stock. You are now in possession of one unloaded Heavy Crossbow... that magic-users cannot wield properly, anyway. +10xp


Hickory S. Baikon

Returning to the door, Hickory followed the larger man inside, cautiously peering around the corner of the hallway. There was a green glow from no immediately apparent source, and the room ahead seemed empty. Going back to the goblin, he attempted to pull out the crossbow bolt from its chest, and searched it for anything interesting or useful. Even something completely useless could be thrown to trigger things, since this place was apparently trapped.

You now have 1 crossbow bolt...shaft. The bolt snaps upon pulling, having grown brittle. The goblin seems to have been looted of anything his pockets may have contained, though he wears a tattered shirt of chromed leather, pierced through the chest and slightly stiff.

[Imaro]

Leaving the crossbow for a moment, Earc goes out to bring his pony in from the wind. Its breath and shivering quickly warm the passage as he continues to work at removing the crossbow from its mechanism.

[roll0]

Your pony seems quite appreciative as it whinnies and stamps for warmth. See above: you have one heavy x-bow

[RandomWombat]

Stowing the broken shaft in his pack, Hickory takes the dead goblin and drags it down to the corner of the hallway, heaving and tossing into the room ahead. "I like to call this the old-school safety check, yeah?"

[Eulalios]

Earc carefully loosens the straps of the saddle and bag, getting the load off the pony. Automatically, he pulls the curry comb and brush from the very bottom of the saddle bag, and sets to brushing down the jittery beast. "There's a few torches in the bag," he says to Haikon. "Might be good to build a fire when the other two get in, so that we can warm us." Reaching in the bag again, he pulls out the small hatchet and tucks behind his belt between the dagger and the darts. He takes the purse of coins from his belt, bounces it in his hand, then into the saddle bag. "I don't expect to buy much here," he says. "And if I don't reclaim this, well ... there's something free and easy that might save some other fool his life for lack of looking further. ... I do wish we had food for the pony, but maybe we won't be long. And there is some kind of plants outside the door there."

[Imaro]

As Hickory drags the goblin's corpse from the entrance, the door closes shut, with a pair of small handgrooves in place, presumably for prying open the door from inside. The corpse is quite frosty and chips in places when it's moved, but remains mostly intact enough to be brought into the next room, where the green light grows ever so slightly.

Chucking the goblin into the room ahead does nothing as poor dead Bernie slides a foot from the entrance and stops in the middle of the doorway.

In the next room are three brass columns, Hickory. Each held shut by a matching brass door, emblazoned from left to right with the icon of: a thunderbolt, a harp, and a sheaf of wheat. Upon closer inspection, the floor around the door to the central chamber is dried with blood. Each door also sports a brass pull-handle. The green light is shining through the cracks of the three doors.

[Eulalios]

Earc glances into the room, and says to Hickory very firmly, "I'm the one who's schooled in arcane arts and I am telling you, don't touch anything that glows bright green, it's just plain a stupid idea."

[RandomWombat]

Earc glances into the room, and says to Hickory very firmly, "I'm the one who's schooled in arcane arts and I am telling you, don't touch anything that glows bright green, it's just plain a stupid idea."

"Don't worry now, I ain't fixing for an early grave," Hickory twirls his axe slowly in his hand, a common habit when he was thinking idly. "Now see, the glow got a bit stronger when Icicle over there got tossed in. I'm thinking maybe it reacts to proximity, but maybe not to dead guys, yeah?"

[Imaro]

Earc, you certainly know it's foolish to go around toying work strangely-colored lights, and have observed the light as not having changed at all in the time you've been standing there.

[Eulalios]

Earc thoughtfully walks into the room of brass columns, holding out the heavy crossbow to Hickory. "That's ... plenty of blood on the floor, here," he says. "How do you think it got here? ... oh, hey, could you use this?"

He stares at the ceiling, looking for telltales of a drop trap or something else mechanical that might produce blood smears; straining his arcane senses, hoping for a sniff or glimmer what sort of magic dominates this room.

"I reckon we ought to wait for the others," he says after a little bit.

[Imaro]

There's a faint stench of stagnant air, as though the room had been sealed for quite some time before your goblin friend and whoever else was with him entered the temple before you, setting off nearly every trap they came across. As you check the base of the door, Hickory is able to infer that it seems the triggered trap was a spear or somesuch that would jut out when the door is opened, as noted by two small ports at the base of the door. Simple to avoid when you know where it is.

[RandomWombat]

Accepting the crossbow, Hickory stores it in his backpack while they wait for the others. It could be useful later, even if he had no ammunition for it at the moment.

[Elbeyon]

Hands full of cloak and reins Darvan attempts to push open the doors to the large room the others had situated themselves in. Assuming success, he leads his half frozen self and donkey inside and is quick to explain, "My donkey got away from me. It took me a while to wrestle her reins" As more blood and a freshly moved corpse get his attention. "Oh, Eternal Wanderer, where are you taking me?."

Nerves shaken he trudges out of the entrance and starts to brush the snow off his cloak covered donkey and self. Too rattled by cold and the looming threat of death to steel his voice he wasn't sure how much fear escaped with his words, "This is unfortunate. I really was hoping I wouldn't run into one of these death traps in my lifetime..." He pauses as he realizes his poor choice of words for the situation. He starts to shuffle through his saddle and unpack. Turning away he pulls out his first item, a set of dry clothes, and under his cloak he shuffles as he changes, "Well, the good news is I've got enough food and feed to last me and my muscle a week. If we have no other sources an even split would still last a day or two. I don't have either water, through snow is plentiful, and worse yet nothing to keep warm." More cold than wet now, Darvan continues to unpack and checks to see if he lost anything in the fall, and at one time or another all his possessions are lane in plain view. "I was expecting a straight trip so I didn't really pack much in the way of survival gear, but I have plenty of clothes. Feel free to help yourselves if you need anything."

Though he was sure he introduced himself to everyone on the caravan he wasn't sure if they remembered him as well, "I'm Darvan Alerdene, by the way."

I'm kinda tired right now so sorry if it's hard to read.

[Imaro]

@Darvan
You find you've retained all of your gear in the avalanche, except perhaps one or two ruined pieces of sulfur in your spell component pouch and a sheaf or two of wet paper that will have to be dried before becoming suitable for penning. So far, there are only two beside you within the ruin, aside from your mule and pony, who seem to have taken to sniffing one another like big dogs.

[Eulalios]

"Hello," says the burly red-haired fellow wrapped up in the thick wool cloak. "Folks call me Red. I'm a scholar, would y'b'lieve it to see me?" He thrusts out a meaty hand to shake. "We're tryin to figure, whether to open these doors. My good sense says NO, my greed says to try it, and my clever says stand clear of the spear trap."

[Elbeyon]

Reciprocating the gesture he gives a firm sake. "Even under these circumstances it's a pleasure to meet you Red. A fellow reader is a hard find." He retreats his hand back under his cloak and an audible rubbing sound is heard. "As much as my good sense agrees with yours opening a door may not be the worse thing to do. The snow is coming down pretty hard, I'm cold, and I can't imagine the weather, or my temperature, is going to improve anytime soon. A small peak past the abyss could lead to a warmer night. What do you say?" He asks looking to and past red to his fellow companion.

[RandomWombat]

Stepping around the spear trap, Hickory looked back at the two magi, "Name's Hickory. Don't mind me too much, just the hired muscle. Easy job so far, the dirty work got done for me." He flourished his axe in the direction of the dead goblin and laughed lightly to himself, as though at a joke only he knew. "Guess that means I ought to start carrying my weight..."

Moving up beside the bronze tube on the left side, Hickory carefully opened it a crack and pushed it the rest of the way with his axe.

[Imaro]

@Hickory
As you push open the leftmost door, an audible click sounds and from the wall burst four darts. Had Hickory been standing in front of the door, they would have sunk into his flesh, but instead sink into the opposite wall of the room. Otherwise, the door opens without issue, into a ladder leading both up and down.

Edit: peering within, the green light seems to be illuminating the passage.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory holds his arms out in celebration, looking to his companions. "Ta-da! There are no monsters sneaking up behind me, yeah?"

[ybn1197]

Finally clambering out of the snow drift the avalanche had left him under, Leogold hitches his cloak tighter and looks about him for signs of the others he had been travelling with. Spying the tracks of a couple of humans and pack animals, Leogold follows them to the ruins of the pyramid. Seeing the tracks lead into the structure at the blank wall, Leogold pries around the door till he is able to open it and head inside of the structure, shaking off both the cold and the snow which had managed to accumulate on him during the short walk.

Hearing voices from around the bend in the corridor, Leo proceeds swiftly, but cautiously, till he is able to ascertain that the only ones in the room are his travelling companions. Seeing everyone gathered in the room, Leo walks in. "Is a cold night, is it not my comrades," he says in a thick accent. "The avalanche got the best of me and delayed my arrival in getting here. Is good to see you all healthy." Spying the brass columns, Leo rubs his chin. "I am thinking these tubes lead up to the statues above. Would make sense given the symbols at the base of each one. The real question my friends, where do they go down to?"

[Elbeyon]

"None that I can see. And, well done." Darvan says in earnest. "Sir Hickory. Are you skilled in the craft of traps?"

When Leogold enters Darvan moves over to the pierced wall and tries to tug the darts free and then goes back towards his pack animal. "I haven't the better part of a clue Master Dwarf. Give me a second to pack and I'll be ready to answer that question with you." Moving things from his saddlebag to his backpack, he ends his chore by covering his donkey in a cheap tent cloth and offering some feed to it and Red's Mule.

[Eulalios]

Earc moves over to the right hand column and closely examines it for any visible devices of death. Then he scouts the wall opposite the door, again in search of openings for projectiles. Then the ceiling, looking for a falling block; and the floor, in search of a trap door. Then the wall where the darts hit ... Then the doorhandle ...

{table]column|[roll0]
wall opp. door|[roll1]
ceiling|[roll2]
floor|[roll3]
right hand wall|[roll4]
doorhandle|[roll5][/table]

"These look like maintenance tubes," he says. "You'd think there'd be a key to disable the traps. I can't believe the technicians suffered through dodging and resetting each trap, every time. But I wonder why three different ladders? Wouldn't they all go to the same lower room?"

He follows up his words by peering down the left hand tube, looking for any sort of bend away from the other tubes.

[RandomWombat]

"None that I can see. And, well done." Darvan says in earnest. "Sir Hickory. Are you skilled in the craft of traps?"

"Can't say I am, no. Just figured opening it from the side was as good a plan as any."

The man idly examined the blade of his axe while Red searched the area. "Well, if the tubes correspond to the statues up there, maybe some kinda sacred treasures are locked up down below? Any of ya religious? Can't say I take much to relying on higher powers myself, but whatever wakes ya up in the morning I suppose."

[ybn1197]

Leo cocked an eyebrow at the man with the battle axe. "Directly, nyet. But I do follow a philosophy to peace and happiness for myself and my surroundings.
"So, mister trapsmith. Are you finding anything?"

[Eulalios]

"Well the trick of it is, I never really can know whether I've found nothing, or whether there's nothing to be found.

"On the left we have the thunder god, hurling bolts - or darts. In the middle the wheat maid, with a slicing blade. Over here is the harpist. I halfway expect a piercing noise, or a harp string noose. The two we've found seem aimed at folk standing right where you'd normally stand to open a door. Soo .... I'll just stand over here." He stands alongside the brass column and awkwardly reaches around to pop the handle of the door.

[Imaro]

@Hickory
Your search finds you no traps...save for a groove hinting at a trap door at the base of the rightmost cylinder's door. It doesn't look like you can step around or over it without stepping on part of the hinged floor.

@Earc
When you step beside the pillar and open the door...the door swings open without issue, and nothing happens.

[RandomWombat]

"Looks like a trapdoor next to the harp one," Hickory points his axe at the floor next to the rightmost tube. "Might be tough business to get at that one safely. Think we should check down one o' the first two?"

[ybn1197]

"Da, is good idea," Leo says. "I can be taking the left one."

[Eulalios]

"Ok," Earc says, walking round the back of the brass columns to join the others by the thunder bolt door. Does he see anything interesting along his way?

[Imaro]

The first and third door are still open, but no one's touched the central door.

Headed up or down the first door?

[ybn1197]

((OCC: Though it is just an observation, I think we are fairly certain that up leads into the statues above us, so I think we should head down.))

[Imaro]

In either case...

Upward, the tunnels indeed lead into the inner heads of the statues, where the mouths feature several bronze levers and controls.


http://i.imgur.com/K87pxiT.png

Congratulations! The light source has been found: three 2' long emerald beetles scuttle about the ground, chittering and glowing like fireflies, a pulsing light emanating from their thoraxes. Around the room are: three doors, as represented in the masterfully-crafted map above by the three elegant white boxes lodged into the walls.

[Eulalios]

In either case...

Upward, the tunnels indeed lead into the inner heads of the statues, where the mouths feature several bronze levers and controls.



Earc, overcome by curiosity, carefully studies the controls.

[Imaro]

The levers require a little force to budge as if frozen, but seem to control the direction of the head and open up a brass megaphone. From your observations, it looks like the heads can be used to make announcements or signals, perhaps intended for religious purposes.

[RandomWombat]

I thought it was the central and left tubes we opened, with the right still being closed?

Hickory peers up the tube after Earc, "What's the word?"

[Imaro]

Not a single one of you opened the central tube in fear of the spears. But you, Hickory, opened both the leftmost and rightmost door, by my records. I'm working under the assumption you all headed down the left ladder, while Earc wound up playing in the gundam cockpit.

[RandomWombat]

Actually, Hickory only ever opened the lightning bolt door, Earc opened the second one. Looking back, I don't think it was specified which one Earc was actually opening though, so I misread that part as well.

[Eulalios]

Actually, Hickory only ever opened the lightning bolt door, Earc opened the second one. Looking back, I don't think it was specified which one Earc was actually opening though, so I misread that part as well.

Assuming the harpist was on the right, that's the one that Earc opened.

Earc clambers down from the cockpit, his staff clanking on the ladder rungs. "A bunch of levers and a voicehorn," he says, "doubtless built to keep the peasants trembling and building more." He looks around the basement room, furrows his brow at the glowing green beetles, then walks to door #3 and examines it carefully. "If we should go by our experience upstairs, the designers of the entire maintenance area had a visceral hatred for mere technicians." He begins to meticulously look over the door and frame and floor and wall and ceiling for evidence of traps.

[roll0]

[RandomWombat]

Climbing down after Earc, Hickory joined him in examining the room. "Damn, look at the size of 'em," the hireling commented on the glowing beetles. "Right bright, too, lighting up this whole place. Figure they're wonders o' nature, or works o' magic?"

Searching: [roll0]

[Imaro]

@Earc
The room looks completely safe.

@Hickory
They look like glowing beetles. And the room looks completely safe.

[Eulalios]

@Earc
The room looks completely safe.


Great! Earc tries opening the door.

[Imaro]

Opening the brass door from the basement, you find a spooky skeleton another ladder, leading upward.

The beetles seem content to scurry and skitter about their business beside some fluid trickling from one of a number of brass pots in a corner.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory goes over to examine the pots, and see if the liquid is any kind of poison he's familiar with. "Hrm. The bugs seem to like this gunk."

[Imaro]

The fluid looks and smells like crude, pungent oil in the green glow of the beetles' radiance. You might feel incredibly ill if you drank some of this stuff, but it shouldn't kill you.

[RandomWombat]

"Careful with any fire, folks, this stuff's some sorta oil I think. Dunno how much fumes might be in the air round here," Hickory walked over to the ladder Earc had uncovered. He peeks up the shaft, to check if there's anything that can be seen above.

[Imaro]

The rightmost ladder seems to lead into the same sort of mechanism as the leftmost ladder: the interior of a bronze giant's mechanical skull

[Eulalios]

The rightmost ladder seems to lead into the same sort of mechanism as the leftmost ladder: the interior of a bronze giant's mechanical skull

Ok, but how about the door leading out of the basement on same level? (Earc inspects it and listens at it, first)

[roll0]

[Imaro]

Well, you're in luck here. There are three doors. And they all look like normal, inconspicuous carved stone doors bearing a stern, male elven-looking face and some script. Doesn't look like there's a lock, either.

The dialect is strange. Not like the Elvish you've learned to read, but still somewhat legible, if a bit archaic.

It reads "By His Name as King, Alanhadhara I." The other two doors have similar script. Beside the king's bust is one of a beautiful elven woman with flowers in her hair, simply reading "The Queen of Stars and Moon." But the name of the bust on the third door has been scratched away, the eyes of the elven man's face damaged. It simply states: "The High Priest, ______."

Taking a step behind the cylinders, you're able to see something: there's a small forge and a pile of bronze ingots and gears, likely meant to fix the Immortals statues.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory casually meanders around the room, looking at the engravings of the doors. "I think maybe we're in a crypt of some kind. These here are the King, Queen, and High Priest." He gestured at each piece of Elven script in turn. "Elves, looks like. Real old elves, judging by the script. And that's saying something, since elves get real old. Either way, it looks like somebody wasn't none too fond of the priest."

[Eulalios]

Earc reads the elvish script on each door, and ends up next to Hickory. " Did Rogar or what's his name, our noble employer, ever really explain what was he looking for up here?

"how about we find out what the priest hides?"

Studying this particular door, frame, etc. intently. Roll is in OOC.

[Imaro]

While you two are conversing, it seems like the beetles have grown restless.

edit:


(1d6)[4]
The door simply looks like an elaborately hand-carved stone door, bearing a long-eared, angular-faced elven man's face, sans eyes, a diadem upon his brow. The door bears a pull cord handle made of knotted red-dyed rope. The hinge opens inward, meaning you could push it open, as pulling would probably make you look pretty stupid, particularly to those around you, and would likely cause those hungry-looking beetles to laugh and chitter about you behind your back.

edit#2:
@Hickory
You recall Roger looking for a lost elven civilization. He wouldn't shut up about it, and you definitely remember something about treasure and some great calamitous apocalypse or whatever, as it was all very boring to you, and you were quite obviously focused on something more related to your profession.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory points at the pull cord, "I'm thinkin' this handle is a trap. The hinges tell the door opens inward, so there's no real reason to have this here." He plants his left foot against the door and pushes it forward, preparing to duck and roll out of the way just in case.

[Imaro]

The door opens with a little force on Hickory's part, out into a long hallway. The pull cord seems to be a handle to pull the door shut.

updated dungeon map...beyond the door!:
http://i.imgur.com/hl8HCfB.png

[Eulalios]

A few quick steps bring Earc past the left and right doors, to the corner of the long passage; he looks left and right along the passage, gripping his staff ready for battle. Is the passage lighted?

[RandomWombat]

Hickory is perfectly happy to let Red go ahead first and set off anything unpleasant waiting for them.

[Eulalios]

Hickory is perfectly happy to let Red go ahead first and set off anything unpleasant waiting for them.

Yeah, that could have been a dumb move. Just presuming that the builders would not have trapped a hallway where people were often entering from doorways. On the other hand each door might have an associated switch to block a trap ...

[ybn1197]

Leo follows Hickory down the ladder and stands by the tube as the others search the room and read the inscriptions. He realizes there is not much he can contribute at the moment but everything in its own time is a philosophy that was repeated continuously into his head.

As Earc heads to the intersection of the corridors, Leo proceeds to the door on the right and listens at the door.

Listen: [roll0]

[Imaro]

A few quick steps bring Earc past the left and right doors, to the corner of the long passage; he looks left and right along the passage, gripping his staff ready for battle. Is the passage lighted?
The passage is unlit. You're fumbling about in the dark for the most part if you don't light a torch, as the beetles' glow does not extend this far into the temple.


Leo follows Hickory down the ladder and stands by the tube as the others search the room and read the inscriptions. He realizes there is not much he can contribute at the moment but everything in its own time is a philosophy that was repeated continuously into his head.

As Earc heads to the intersection of the corridors, Leo proceeds to the door on the right and listens at the door.

Listen: [6]The door is in fact a wooden one, cracked open ever so slightly. No sound is audible from the other side.

[RandomWombat]

"So do any of ya have a cage to put 'em in?" Hickory gestures aside to the glowbeetles. "We can probably use 'em as torches of ya do."

[ybn1197]

Leo glances back at Leo. "Nyet, my good friend. I have no need for them so I do not carry them." With that he turns back to the door. Knowing it is not best to leave something not inspected behind them, he nods towards the doorway. "I vill take a look inside and see if all is clear." He opens the door just enough to look inside through infravision.

[Imaro]

The inside of the room is surprisingly bare. The walls, like all the others seen thus far, are covered in a mass of moss and roots, likely from the trees growing above. This room might once have been the quarters of a priest, but it looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. It contains musty, dust-covered furniture: a green sleeping pallet, an oak writing desk with a wooden stool, and a stone chest. A wooden amulet in the shape of a hand holding a lightning bolt lays atop the desk.

[Eulalios]

"Well, now, looks like I should head back to the stables and grab a candle, maybe a few torches, too," says Earc. He retreats to the green bug room and up the ladder to the room where the ponies are safe from the weather.

[Imaro]

Up the left tube and toward the ponies, the wizard finds his and Darvan's animals quite happy to see someone return, laying close to the warmth of the bronze tubes, the items sought easily accessible. Upon returning the same way, Earc will have found the three beetles locked in combat with a tremendous serpent that had slithered through the door closest to the room's southwestern corner.

[RandomWombat]

Hickory hadn't noticed the snake until Earc returned, having been watching Leo search in the dark. Upon turning to greet the returning mage, his stance shifted to one on guard, axe readied in both hands. "Damn, that's a big snake." The assassin maneuvered around, working his way into a position where he could rush the snake from behind while the beetles kept it occupied. Hopefully he could bring it down in one fell swoop before it decided to make a go at bigger prey.

Hickory is moving around behind the bronze tubes to the other side of the room, to get in a better position to rush the snake while it's distracted. He's not in range to attack quite yet.

[ybn1197]

Engrossed with scanning the room, Leo was unaware of what was occurring till Hickory's exclamation. Turning, he spies the reptile. "Da my friend. I have not seen such a large specimen in a long time." Leo maneuvers himself such that he is equidistant between Earc and Hickory.

[Imaro]

As Leo and Hickory approach the beetles and the serpent, Darvan silently creeps behind the assassin. The cobra leaps to snap at one of the beetles, its fangs biting into nothing but its chitinous thorax while the second beetle belches a cascade of emerald flame, reducing the cobra to cinders. The third beetle then begins to chew on the charred corpse rather hungrily, mandibles snapping and crackling at the serpent's flesh and bone. The first beetle then seems to notice Earc descend the bronze ladder and chitters, flaring its wings.

Initiative roll, either way.
Leo, Earc, Hickory, and Darvan: [roll0]+1 (highest initiative counts for group)
Beetles and Dead Serpent [roll1]-1

I really thought that snake had a chance. :smallannoyed:

Beetles' Action:
Beetle 1: Taunts
Beetle 2: Devours the Cobra
Beetle 3: Helps Beetle 2...TEAMWORK

[RandomWombat]

Momentarily shocked by the gout of flame, Hickory shakes off his apprehension. One the beetles finished with the snake, the group was probably next on the menu. He moves up behind one of the beetles eating the dead snake, bringing down his axe on it with both hands.

Backstabhack: [roll0]
Damage if hit: [roll1] x2

[Imaro]

Hickory's strike is accurate, but just as he brings the axe down, the beetle moves out of the way to wrestle with the cobra's corpse.

[ybn1197]

Though years of training had honed Leo's hands into deadly weapons, his dwarven nature still favored the battle axe. Singing the one beetle flare its wings at Earc, Leo realizes the poor man has little defense on the ladder. Springing over, Leo swings his axe at the distracted beetle.


Attack: [roll0]
Battle Axe damage if I hit: [roll1]

[Imaro]

Leo's hit connects in the wake of Hickory's opening blow, splitting one of the feasting beetles in two.

[Eulalios]

Earc leaps from the ladder into the fray, attempting to impair a beetle with his staff.
Attack [roll0] damage [roll1]

[Imaro]

Earc's leap is just short of the beetle, but he still manages to make a hit against the creature, knocking it and enraging the creature.

Darvan steps in, staff in hand, to assist Earc's smashing. "Damn!"
to-hit- [roll0]
damage- [roll1]

Beetles' Actions:
The two remaining, furious and starving beetles chitter up to Darvan and Leo, snapping. The first bites straight into the dwarf's axehead, while the second spews a jet of flame, setting the wizard's hand and cloak aflame. He quickly sets to damping himself, holding his burned skin and swearing harder.

Turn 3! Party's round.

[ybn1197]

"Nyet today my carapaced friend," Leo says laughing at the beetle. He takes another swing at the giant insect.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Eulalios]

Earc tries again to smash the nearest bug.
: Earc attack Thaco 20 [1d20] = 7 damage [1d6] = 6 (http://www.unseenservant.com/default.asp?do=showone&id=24232)

[Imaro]

Both Leo's and Earc's attacks slide harmlessly off of the beetles' glimmering carapaces as the insects snap and chitter, the light of their glow obviously getting in the intrepid adventurers' eyes.

[RandomWombat]

Maneuvering around to flank the beetle engaging Darvan, Hickory takes another swing. "Eat this, ya little devil!"

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] x2

[Imaro]

Hickory's stroke may have had too much force put into it as the man stabs the chitinous hide, his blade angling and leaving a nasty scar along the length of the beetle's carapace, to its alarm.

Darvan sees an opening and, gripping his staff in both hands, swings with all his might at the head of the nearest beetle.
Staff at [roll0] for [roll1] damage

The two remaining beetles remain restless--and hungry. They leap up to both strike Hickory, the first still pinned to Hickory's blade and fumbling around, chittering madly. The second...belches flame that singes the tips of the assassin's eyebrows, dealing 3 points of damage.

[Eulalios]

... and ... Earc takes another mighty swing with the staff.
Earc attack Thaco 20 [1d20] = 4 damage [1d6] = 2 (http://www.unseenservant.com/default.asp?do=showone&id=24287)

[RandomWombat]

"Hoo! Ha-ha-ha!" Hickory uses one arm to pat out the flames on his eyebrows, then grips the axe with both hands again. He lifts it up and slams it down, still stuck in the beetle, like one would do when chopping a log of wood.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Imaro]

Earc's mighty swing winds up hitting the wrong beetle as the other deftly dodges out of the way in a stupidly fast maneuver, but not before Hickory manages to behead the beetle, causing its head to catch air, hitting the ceiling before plopping back to the ground with a thud. Earc's staff winds up popping a hole in the creature's thorax, spilling its glowing blood. Weird.

Realizing it is sufficiently outnumbered, the final beetle attempts to flee, but not before Leo has his turn to act!

[Eulalios]

"Looks like we might have lighting for our explorations," Earc says as he readies for another swing. "Just rub some torches in that glowing ichor, we should be all set. I wonder how long it lasts, though. And is it highly flammable?"

Earc attack Thaco 20 [1d20] = 4 damage [1d6] = 4 (http://unseenservant.com/default.asp?do=showone&id=24291)

[ybn1197]

Spotting the remaining beetle attempting to escape, Leo swings his axe at the creature.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Imaro]

The final beetle deftly skitters out of the way of Earc's staff, having seen far too many of them to know to fear the rod, but is completely unprepared for the next occurrence as its vermin mind recalls the long summers of its youth, scurrying wide and free in the lands above, chittering and feasting on leaves and voles when its skull is split by the dwarven monk. The beetles never stood a chance despite their fancy footwork. The party gains 45xp (+bonus% if you've got it. Keep this in mind e.g. Leo has +10%, and thus gains a total of 49.5xp. Round to the nearest .5 if you ever get some strange fraction like .40404).

@Earc
The goop looks like it'll fall right through your hands. It's blood. Glowing blood, but blood nonetheless. Regardless, Darvan swoops into the rescue with a glass vial and carefully scoops up the blood and doesn't seem to be poisoned or burned other than the itching, stinging wounds he received earlier. "Let's get a move on, shall we? I don't feel much like staying here...these things are giving me the willies!"

[ybn1197]

"Da, is good idea for us to be movink on. There is room to the right here that I looked into. It is looking empty of creatures but may have something we may be needing later." Leo proceeds over to the room he was looking in before the battle started.

[Imaro]

Reposted from page 2, for anyone entering Leo's room:
The inside of the room is surprisingly bare. The walls, like all the others seen thus far, are covered in a mass of moss and roots, likely from the trees growing above. This room might once have been the quarters of a priest, but it looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. It contains musty, dust-covered furniture: a green sleeping pallet, an oak writing desk with a wooden stool, and a stone chest. A wooden amulet in the shape of a hand holding a lightning bolt lays atop the desk.

[RandomWombat]

With a singed face and a couple superficial bites to the ankles, Hickory picks up the body of one of the beetles and coats his axe head in its glowing blood. Dropping the dead insect unceremoniously on the floor, he follows Leo over to the room he'd found. "Bastards were almost cute, up 'til they started belchin' fire everywhere."

[Eulalios]

Earc immediately goes to the amulet and bends close to examine without picking up.

[ybn1197]

Leo goes over to the chest and checks for any traps.


Delicate Tasks: 25% [roll0]

[Imaro]

Earc immediately goes to the amulet and bends close to examine without picking up.

It looks like a wooden amulet. Oaken, to be pick nits. And upon closer inspection that is most definitely the holy symbol of Thor the Fiery Champion, Lord of Lightning.


Leo goes over to the chest and checks for any traps.


Delicate Tasks: 25% [+20]
The chest looks entirely normal. As a dwarf, you can proudly say this stone chest was made by the dwarves of Clan Wurkrest, exemplified by the clan markings. The chest is rather simple to open, locked by a rather simple mechanism that is undone by pressing in the etched visage of a druidic Immortal upon the lid.

[ybn1197]

Leo presses the image.

[Imaro]

The chest contains a few broken vials, simple elven garb, bits of paper--perhaps notes, and some half-filled journals. Nothing of real value.

[RandomWombat]

Stepping inside, Hickory watches the door for the group as they search the room for valuables. Don't want another of those snakes showing up and catching someone unawares - the beetles either, but it was easy to tell when those were coming.

[Eulalios]

Earc snaps up the amulet and blows the dust from it. He looks around the green-lit room, and still holding the amulet, goes to poke his staff among the papers in the chest.

[ybn1197]

Leo steps aside so that Earc has access to the chest. He then proceeds to the door on the opposite side of the corridor and listens at that.


Hear Sounds: 3 in 6 [roll0]

[Eulalios]

Earc searches the chest, examining anything that has writing on it.