No traps resolve themselves as you slowly and carefully approach the entrance to the mound. Inside, a short staircase descends into the shadowy darkness below.
There are both booted footprints and other tracks which you cannot make out. Bones litter the floor. Four huge square stone columns support the structure. Between the pillars there is an old, rusty 6’ high tripod with a block and tackle suspended over a hole in the floor. A rope descends down into the darkness.
Pyrrhic stops in the center of the standing stones and addresses his companions.
"By Svarog's Hammer, That looks promising. It also looks like it could be the end of us, but are we not men?
We came to this forsaken place looking for gold and glory, for renown and to place our names among the heroes of old."
Pyrrhic points to the bones near the entrance. "Where lesser men have already tried and fail, we will succeed. Where the darkness stretches below ground, we will bring our light. Where the denizens of goblin-kind horde their gold and magic, we will pry it from their dead hands. Today we entered this moor as strangers, yet we will leave here as brothers, joined by the blood of battle."
Pyrrhic looks his companions in the eye.
"I see great potential in all of you, and although we have just met, I trust you all with my life. Let those poor souls who came before us be a warning. This life is not easy, this life is not safe, but if we use our courage" --Pyrrhic points to Mortiganto -- "and our smarts" -- pointing to Dren -- "Then I have no doubt that not only can we survive, but we will tame this foul pit."
Then, more soberly, "But seriously, everybody be careful. This is where words turn to actions, threats to monstrosities, and dangers to death."
He shrugs, "But also risks to rewards, so let's get started! We should probably replace that rope with one of our own, however."
"Mi pensas, ke mia simio metis sian piedon en vian trinkaĵon." Neniam dividu la adventurgrupon. "Ĉu vi volas koboldojn? Ĉar tiel estas kiel oni akiras koboldojn!"
As the others busy themselves with the rope, Gawain will peer down the pit, giving his elvin eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. His sword is drawn.
'allow me a moment before we set spark to torch. I may be able to see something without needing to alert anything down there to our presence.'
The ceiling is vaulted and 35 feet high from the floor; bones litter the floor. The smells of dampness and death waft up through the hole in the floor.
Uto walks over to the hole and sniffs the air and can be heard muttering about "the damned....those who refuse to die".
He removes his mace from his belt and wraps the mace's strap around his wrist. Reaching out over the hole he grabs the rope, tugs it once, does a jig settling his backpack, and starts lowering himself down. "Don't youse all linger up here too long. I may need youse help if there be something nasty down there."
* I'll be your huckleberry.
* I don't really care too much about the ruleset, I want a good setting and to have fun.
"Hm. I should have brought liqour," Mortiganto muses. As soon as Uto is at the bottom of the rope, Mortiganto begins his descent as well. At the bottom, he'll light a torch, and hand it to Uto.
"Mi pensas, ke mia simio metis sian piedon en vian trinkaĵon." Neniam dividu la adventurgrupon. "Ĉu vi volas koboldojn? Ĉar tiel estas kiel oni akiras koboldojn!"
