Travels amongst the Border Princes II (WFRP 2e) IC

[LarsWester]

Harman smiles Never good to go exploring on a rumbling stomach. Especially a halfling's rumbling stomach.

[rax]

OOC: That was just a bit of fun on my part.

If dojango doesn't intend to spring an ambush on us while we eat, I suggest we can just fast forward to us having eaten and gone back down to start exploring the lower levels.

[dojango]

Marina inspects the elevator more closely but shrugs. "Those engineers keep their secrets well, I don't know how these work. I think this looks broken though, there should be more... stuff... here to make it work. At least it brings good air into the depths and lets bad air escape. If we wanted to someone could try to climb up the shaft to see if it goes somewhere else, but it might just be a dead end."

Pietro seconds the idea of taking some time to eat, and the three mercenaries break out some dried rations and water and sit and rest for a bit, chatting in Tilean. Marina refills her lantern with oil and salvages some wood from the debris to make some crude torches, which she passes out to the others. They watch the shadows, twitching, worrying about an ambush, but nothing materializes.

[rax]

"Alright then, everybody ready to go? Then let's head back down and see how deep we have to go..." Severin suggests once everyone's eaten their fill.

[Haval]

Marina inspects the elevator more closely but shrugs. "Those engineers keep their secrets well, I don't know how these work. I think this looks broken though, there should be more... stuff... here to make it work. At least it brings good air into the depths and lets bad air escape. If we wanted to someone could try to climb up the shaft to see if it goes somewhere else, but it might just be a dead end."

Gabriele thinks of how far down the shaft goes. 'Probably too risky, even if there's something valuable up there. Tollares is free to come back here with climbers if he's that interested.' Afterwards she'll listen to the mercenaries talking in Tilean and try to see if any of it was familiar. Reikspiel and the smattering of Estelian that she'd picked up from her Grandma would only take her so far though.

Eventually she'll get up to follow Severin, 'And how deep is that? Is that story about the Dwarves having tunnels everywhere actually true?'

[LarsWester]

While the others are discussing in Tilean amongst themselves and Severin and Gabrielle are having a discussion Harman inspect the open shaft more closely. Thinking that he could possibly climb keeping tension between two adjacent walls of the shaft. Marina I'm going to give it try. Harman takes out his rope and ties one end around his waist before handing the other end to Zdenko. The tall and strong investigator begins slowly creeping his way up a corner of the shaft. Keeping his tension alternately between his arms or legs he shimmies up the shaft. Progress is slow and tiring but he seems to be making progress none the less.

[dojango]

With the strong mercenary (hopefully) having a firm grip on the other end of the rope, Harman climbs up into the darkness. It's hard going at first, and it doesn't get any easier after he leaves the comforting bubble of light down below. After a number of minutes, Harman's reaching hand feels the edge of a ledge and he is able to haul himself up and light one of his candles. He sees another room similar to the one he just left, with a twisted and wrecked metal frame around the shaft, and a tunnel leading off into the darkness. This room, however, is carpeted with shattered and wrecked bones covering most surfaces...

Spoiler: Harman

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The bones are dry and desiccated, with no flesh or skin remaining. There are also dozens of weapons in their ruined hands. He estimates them to be the same age as the ones he examined earlier. The metal frame is study enough that he can affix the rope to make it easier for him to climb down, or for someone to climb up should they be so inclined. He also spies some dangling chains from some machinery at the top of the shaft.

[LarsWester]

Relief floods over Harman as his candle light spreads across the chamber. That is until it reveals the rooms contents. Harman lays on the floor with his head over the shaft calling down. I made it up to the floor above. It's strewn with skeletons. I think there was a battle here long ago. There's also a passageway out of this room. Anyone else interested in coming up? I can secure this end of the rope so it will be an easy climb for you.

Spoiler

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Harman quickly secures his end of the rope. He then inspects the dangling chains more closely does it look like the chain broke at some point. He also searches the weapons in the room for any that are of usable quality. As well as just a general search of the room. SearchVs36 - (1d100)[78] spending a Fortune Point if it fails SearchVs36 - (1d100)[27] or if Perception works instead the check is vs 56. 3/4 fortune points remaining.

[rax]

Severin looks around at the others. "Well, he made the effort to get up there, and we would likley have had to investigate the shaft eventually. If there was a battle, I'm thinking it was probably against the same creature or creatures that did for the poor buggers we found earlier. I'm game to go up there and see where the passage leads if the rest of you are," he says.

[Haval]

Gabriele will look at the rope suspiciously. 'Maybe once we're up there we can find another way down. I can't believe he actually made that climb.'

[dojango]

While the others are climbing up, Harman takes some time to search the room. A closer look at the chain reveals that it wasn't broken... it was cut cleanly. Deliberately. Meanwhile, everyone takes turns to climb up the rope with another rope tied to them for support. Zdenko, the heaviest, goes last with both Pietro and Marino holding onto the rope tied around his waist as he climbs up. He curses has he hauls himself over the ledge and says "Yah, let's find another way."

Spoiler: Harman

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While the others are climbing up you examine the bodies. The way the bones lie tells you that they were disturbed after they died, and were torn through and scattered. You've seen bodies torn apart by wild animals before in your previous career. Most anything of leather or wood has rotted away or is falling apart, leaving shining axe-heads and spear-points, and a few picks and shovels. The torn scraps of their clothes and leather armor is falling to pieces, while metal buckles and plates gleam in the candlelight. One of the bodies, however, has gold ring with purple stones set in it on the hand, and the skeletal hand is wrapped around a heavy dwarf-crafted sword covered with geometric decorative engravings. You can hear Severin making his way up the rope, you can quickly pocket the ring before anyone notices...

[LarsWester]

Harman hears the others climbing up and heads over to the ledge where he offers a hand up to Severin.
I think the dwarves cut the chain to keep whoever killed these dwarves from using the elevator years ago. Most of it is useless scrap but there is a fine sword over here you should look at Severin. I think it made the bit of effort getting up here worth the chance. Should fetch a nice price.

Spoiler: Private

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Harman would pocket the ring rather than share it with the other mercenaries. But he is calling Severin's attention to the fine dwarven sword. Don't think we can hide it from the other 3 mercs.

Once everyone is up Harman suggests catching their breaths and then proceeding down the passage to see where it leads.

[dojango]

Once he's up, Severin sees the bodies. The way the bones lie tells you that they were disturbed after they died, and were torn through and scattered. You've seen bodies torn apart by wild animals before in your previous career. Most anything of leather or wood has rotted away or is falling apart, leaving shining axe-heads and spear-points, and a few picks and shovels. The torn scraps of their clothes and leather armor is falling to pieces, while metal buckles and plates gleam in the candlelight. One of the bodies, however, has a skeletal hand wrapped around a heavy dwarf-crafted sword covered with geometric decorative engravings. As Severin examines it, he can hear Marina and Pietro climbing up the rope behind him.

[Haval]

Gabriele will climb up very carefully and try not to look down the shaft as she does so. At Harman's comment, 'But it didn't work did it? Whoever attacked them just found another way in.' When she sees the sword, 'Looks expensive. Dwarf weapons are supposed to be the best aren't they?'

[LarsWester]

Harman shrugs at Gabriele's comment May have bought some time for the defenders elsewhere. Do you think it's a runic weapon? I hear the dwarven masters could enchant weapons with special powers. Harman looks down at the sword before kneeling and grabbing it by the hilt and lifting it for closer inspection. Best to lay hands on it in case the others hold to some first touched equals ownership mindsets. he reasoned.

[Haval]

Gabriele shrugs, 'They made Sigmar's hammer didn't they? I suppose the only way to be sure would be to hit something with it.'

[rax]

"Well, don't just stand there playing with it, you might go blind," Severin chuckles as Harman examines the sword. "If you want it, tuck it in your belt for now."

"Funny thing, though. To me it looks like these bones were scattered after these lads were already dead. So maybe there's some beast or beasts that moved in later...or maybe whoever killed them had something with them that they let chew on the poor beggars after they'd been killed," he speculates.

[LarsWester]

Harman lets out an embarrassed chuckle before putting the sword in his belt. Severin I agree these bodies were picked clean and bones scattered well after these warriors died. Should we check the passageway for any signs of what did those deeds?

[Haval]

To Severin, 'As long as whatever it was that messed with the bodies isn't still here.'

[dojango]

Pietro and Zdenko look askance at Harman as he collects the sword, but say nothing. They also root through the scattered bones as well for a few moments, until you decide to move out. There is a short hallway, also strewn with bones, and then you are in a large open room, some sort of dining hall and gathering place. At one end is a large open basin, with a very well crafted statue of several dwarven maidens pouring pitchers into the empty basin. Zdenko and Pietro spend a few moments admiring the details of the statue before Marina pokes Zdenko with a sharp finger and they get to searching the room. There are more bones here, but little in the way of anything useful.

It takes another few hours to explore this level; the tunnels and rooms here are a far cry from the crude workings below. The passageways are lined with statues of dwarves, and the walls and floors have been carefully smoothed out and in many places, covered with detailed engravings. You pass workshops, dormitories, more kitchens and storerooms and offices. You find bones, both dwarven and animal now, rats, cats, dogs and chickens. You also find garbage strewn about here and there, mostly clustered around what appear to be ventilation shafts. Here and there you can find natural sunlight filtering down from above. Marina takes a few moments to close her eyes and stare up at the light the first time you find one, ignoring the garbage heaped up at her feet.

You also find some cisterns with buckets and rope descending from above; these must be the wells from where the town above draws its water. You also find the fortifications overlooking the paths winding up the mesa; this is where you had briefly explored a few nights ago. You also find what must have been the main entrance, but it is now blocked by tons of rubble from the collapse of the roof above. There are also two places where the halls have been blocked by crude walls; next to one of them you find two broken skeletons, one of which has some mason's tools scattered around the body.

[rax]

Severin is quiet as they explore the Dwarf halls. Even empty and desolate, they're a wonder to behold compared to the Human cities and towns he's familiar with. At one point he leans over to Gabriele and whispers: "Well, now we know what the halls look like. Shame we haven't got the time or equipment to map this place properly - we'd be making Le Houet a very happy woman. I wonder how much of this Vorgrimler got to see?"

"So, about these walls. It seems pretty clear that whether or not the guards and workers were taken or fled, they didn't pass through any bricked up passages. Do we try and knock one of the walls down just to see what's on the other side, or do we head back down and see if we can find a trace of the missing folk?" he asks the rest of the crew. "

[Haval]

Gabriele will help search the rooms for anything interesting. If the stories were true this place wasn't even a particularly large settlement by Dwarf standards.

At the ventilation shafts, 'Careful where you step. I hate to think what people have been dumping down here.' At the blocked off sections, 'You think they lived like this with the walls ready to collapse the whole time?'

To Severin quietly, 'You open the place up and it'd make a hell of a fortress.' On the walls, 'If we can be sure we're not going to bring more of the ceiling down if we try breaking the walls.' She'll point to the skeletons with the mason tools, 'If things were bad enough to start collapsing the entrance maybe these ones were the rearguard. Maybe they didn't expect to make it.'

[dojango]

Marina starts to get nervous when Severin mentions breaking down walls. "We was hired to solve problems, not open up new ones," she says. Meanwhile, Gabriele searches some of the rooms she passes and some of the bodies. She can't help but notice that this area has been picked over by scavengers; fixtures are pried out of walls, bodies are rummaged through, and anything remotely useful seems to have been carried off.

[rax]

"I doubt it. I think they were probably facing an attack of some sort, so they blocked off passages they couldn't defend properly. Doesn't seem to have helped much in the end though," Severin answers Gabriele.

"That's a fair point," Severin answers Marina with a grin. "I guess that means we climb back down and then go down the stairs, eh?"

[Haval]

'Someone stole everything that wasn't nailed down.' Gabriele is frankly disappointed to have to make the climb down in reverse.

[LarsWester]

Harman finds a good size stone and carries it over to the shaft that he had climbed up and drops it counting out loud softly until he could maybe hear it hit something down below. One... Two...

Spoiler: OOC

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Perception - (1d100)[33]
Harman is trying to figure out how far down the shaft goes by the old dropping a stone and multiplying number of seconds by itself then by 5 to get a rough estimate of yards down. If it's something over 10 seconds then Harman probably can't do the math very easily.

[rax]

OOC: Is this where we all go "Fool of a Took!"

[Haval]

Gabriele will listen in case the shaft was somehow a lot smaller then it seemed. To Harman, 'Just don't fall in right. Maybe it's best not to think about how far down it goes.'

Spoiler: ooc

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Just in case
Perception vs. Int 38 (+20 Acute Hearing)
(1d100)[46]

OOC: Is this where we all go "Fool of a Took!"

'They have a Rat Ogre.'

[dojango]

Harman drops the rock and waits. He counts to eleven and then hears the clatter of the rock hitting bottom. A few moments later a few other rocks and bones go down the shaft as Pietro and Zdenko toss debris down as well, grinning as they watch it ricochet off the walls. "Stop, stop!" hisses Marina, waving her arms. "What are you doing? We have to go down there too!"

[rax]

Severin shakes his head briefly at Pietro and Zdenko's foolishness, but keeps his mouth shut, expecting that they're more likely to accept a dressing-down from Marina than a Halfling.

"So now we know there's an end to the shaft as well," he says with a look at Harman. "Are we supposed to try and climb all the way down using ropes, or do we take the stairs we saw earlier...like sensible folk?"