Chapter 6: To Whatever End

[Inferno]

Ravenhill, The Lonely Mountain, The Desolation of Smaug, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
March 24, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Six. Morning. Misty, cold





Within the abandoned dwarf-fortress...




...Folco is the next to examine the secret keyhole, and then the wall that bears it. Gilly and Tinuwen also search for its door, to no avail. Finding neither portal nor dangers, Folco steps back to let Vindo ply the keyhole with his expert lock-picks.

The tamed wildman deftly works the dwarf-lock with subtle, knowing fingers and suddenly, there is the click of ancient, complex tumblers.

Long straight cracks appear and widen.




A door five feet high and three feet wide is outlined, and slowly swings inward without a sound!





Darkness seems to flow out like a vapor, a yawning black mouth leading into the mountain!






Actions?! (Light sources? The usual marching order?)


Map:

The Company is on Ravenhill.




PC Status:

Elbenarin: Male Dunedan Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 34/34
Elbenwin: Male Dunedan Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 34/34
Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 16/21
Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 33/41
Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/34
Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 13/13, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 8/8, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl
Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 20/31
Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19
Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[Rex]

Rumil

"Perhaps Master Folco followed by Master Vindo, then I will come along. I can have Gaelcrist drawn for light."

[Urson]

Therone
Therone looks over and smiles. Well done! She moves to take a position near the front of the crew as they enter the tunnels.

[Scott308]

Glasik Ironfoot

Ghal Maraz at the ready, Glasik will try to be near the center of the procession, allowing those adept at moving quietly to enter ahead of him.

[hedgeknight]

Gilda Ironfoot

"Good job!" Gilly says, thumping Vindo on the back hard enough to rattle his teeth. She peers inside the black hole and kneels down to Red. "Whatcha smell in there, boy? Any Orcs? Gobs? Dragons?"
She chuckles and looks at her brother, Glasik.
"Ain't nothin' like a deep dark hole to make a body feel at home, eh brother?"

Gilly is definitely in a good mood, almost giddy. She offers to venture into the hole with Red and see what's what.

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin watches the portal open. He will sniff the air and examine the floor for any clues of what may have passed. He cautions, "we must tread quietly as we navigate this mountain."

[wolfpack]

Elbenwin joins in looking for any signs of passage and moves to the front sword in hand.

the sooner we are out of the open the better.

the dragon slayer gives off light correct?

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco gulps audibly when his name is called to lead the others inside.

"Ummmm..... sure, I guess. If you promise to stay close, I will lead the way inside."

He feels a bit of relief when the dwarf suggests going in with her dog, but leads the way inside if that idea is shot down.

He feels around the inside of the doorway for any latches or mechanisms before entering. He tries to determine if any heat is escaping from the dark tunnel beyond.

[Starbeard]

Vindo lurches forward from Gilly's hardy slap on the back, fighting with his hood as it slips down over his face.

"I'd just as soon we all go home at this point… after all, Smaug is mighty old, perhaps he's already dead? But if Master Folco is so insistent to forge the way ahead, I will valiantly lead from the second rank. It's the least I could do, in solidarity of the Company."

Vindo unsheathes the shortsword [Birr] and follows Folco in.

[Old Duergar]

Naruthirdor lets out an amused smile at the good-natured exchange between Dwarf, Man and Hobbit alike.

"Trust the hound's nose to sniff out any dangers and lurking enemies for now, I say and let us worry for Smaug the Golden when we are far deeper in the Mountain, aye? Take heart, all, darkness may loom ahead but for now, it's -just- that. Darkness. Let us not add to its gloom."

The Elf prepares to enter, keeping an eye to the back of the Company and the path leading to them inside the Dwarf-fortress.

[Urson]

Therone
Don't worry, Master Folco. I shall be right behind you, ready to feather any danger with my arrows.

[Inferno]

Ravenhill, The Lonely Mountain, The Desolation of Smaug, Rhovanion, Middle Earth
March 24, Year One of the Fourth Age
Day Six. Morning. Misty, cold




Within the old watch-post on the Lonely Mountain, the Company discover a secret dwarf-passage into Erebor!

Its air is musty, cold and still. Folco finds no secret latches, nor Elbenarin any sign of recent use. After confirming that it is safe, they carefully advance by the flickering faint light of their enchanted blades.

The subterranean shaft is smooth, straight and seemingly without end. The dwarves can feel it continuously descending on a slight and steady angle. For five dark hours they march single file beneath the shoulder of the great mountain, their footfalls echoing in the deep.

Then the miles-long tunnel comes to a dead end before Elbenwin, Folco, Gilly and Red! They spy neither door nor keyhole.


Actions?!


Map:





PC Status:

Elbenarin: Male Dunedan Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 34/34
Elbenwin: Male Dunedan Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 34/34
Folco Boffin: Male Hobbit Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 16/21
Gilda 'Gilly' Ironfoot: Female Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 33/41
Glasik Ironfoot: Male Dwarvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 25/34
Gilwennen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 13/13, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
Naruthirdor Nowe: Male Elvish Magic-User 2: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 8/8, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl
Rumil: Male Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Therone: Female Elvish Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 20/31
Tinuwen: Female Elvish Fighter/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: -2, HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Vindoboduoc: Male Man Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19
Red: Guard Dog: Move: 12", AC: 6, HD: 2+2, HP: 11/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4, THAC0: 16

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

In Darkness and In Doubt (the story so far)
Before The Fall (realms and maps of Middle Earth)
The Fear and The Shadow (the story so far in images)
History Became Legend. Legend Became Myth (clues and player notes)

[wolfpack]

Dwarves would never build a tunnel to nowhere.

elbenwin searches for secret doors

[ravenn4544]

Elbenarin nods in agreement and checks the walls and floors as well for hidden passageways.

[Rex]

Rumil

Rumil searches as well.

[Urson]

Therone
Could it have been blocked from the other side by the dragon?
Therone holds a torch in each hand, providing as much light as she can for the searchers.

[Rex]

Rumil

"I think if anyone other than the Dwarves or possibly Elves blocked it we would be able to easily tell. Hiding it to make it look like this would require great skill. I suspect the Dwarves hid it, the question is where, it may be further back somewhere and this dead end is a trap of sort in case someone gets in the outer door."

[Old Duergar]

Naruthirdor

Vaguely nodding at Rumil's words, Naruthirdor wordlessly pours some water from his waterskin on the descending passage, right next to the dead-end wall and watches keenly for any signs of its passage or trail left.

Naruthirdor searches for secrets doors and passages.

[OGRE MAGE]

Folco is happy for the the break, his hairy little feet already sore from walking on the hard stone floor for so long.

When he sees Naruthirdor's trick with the water, he gets another idea.

He takes several steps back the way he came before pulling out his pipe and pouch of leaf, firing up a bowl full of Old Tobey and blowing the smoke all around the passage to ascertain if there are any currents or cracks where the smoke disappears into.

He exclaims mischievously, "anyone else care for a puff?"

[SocraticLawyer]

Tinuwen helps search for any secret or hidden doors.

Who ended up taking Tinuwen's old +1 bow?