Barrowmaze: Of Where-Rats and Mongrelmen.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

I will check the second triangular vault out and the silver candleabra. Giving it to Callan if it has any Ygg blessing attached to it.

"Here check this out?" he says.

He will sack up the skulls. We can use them to guard our position if we camp or to clear out a passage of any threats (hopefully).

Would Rum as a fighter be familiar with such skull siege-works or explosives?

[Spearmint]

Exploring beyond the Rat Room.

Secret Doors checking: [1d100]=38 [1d100]=33

The group continue searches. Sigrid & Sundance check out the newly discovered passage, bare flagstone and dark, ending in an apparent dead end. The women apply some skills and nous to locate another latch and discern the outline of another almost seamless portal. You can open the door and checking beyond, see a narrow passage that runs diagonally NW & SE. The area to the NW has an impenetrable blackness that voids all normal light and elven infravision but looking in the other direction, you can see passage extends about twenty feet before opening into a larger chamber.

Rum Lightbender can check out the 'black hand skulls'. Despite a reasonable knowledge of dwarven ingenuity and craftsmanship, these relics or explosives are beyond his familiarity. However Vann Hector can bring a cautionary tale regarding previous Adventurer Guild expeditions encountering strange constructs and augmented Undead. It would not be too far-fetched to reach his conclusions that pulling the tooth triggers a blast of boney shards or some magical effect. Assessing them, the skulls could be set up as traps or improvised weapons. Callan, Rum, Vann & Veryn, each add 'black hand skull' to your inventory if shared out or choose to put them in one carriable sack.

While Rum & Callan ward the first room, Vann Hector & Veryn press into the second small triangular crypt. 'Ghosthand' Vann tries to lay a greedy finger upon the silver candleabra, but both he and Veryn fail to locate the next drop leaf pit trap in the middle of the crypt as a greed as well as pride seems to come before a fall. As the floor gives way, Veryn is able to balance dexterously on his tippy-toes and escape the drop into the pit below.

Vann Hector & Veryn: pit trap Dexterity checks: Vann 16 vs [4d6]=19 Veryn 15 vs [4d6]=8

Vann Hector is not so lucky, seemingly to drop endlessly and silently out of sight ...

In falling headlong, Vann's black Tricorn hat is knocked off his brow to fall at the feet of his more fortunate comrade, the elf's favoured 'Foul Pheasant gaming dice spilling out, four of them roll across the floor in a fateful drama before pitching into the void after the elf.

Actions please

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Veryn eyes widens after surviving near death. He takes a lit torch, draws it away from the black hand skull and throws it to gauge how deep the trap hole goes.

"Mr. Hector!! Can you hear me?

Vaguely, he remembers a word of wisdom said by fellow delver in his village. "No free bauble." Now, he truly understands what that meant.

What are the chances of thing breaks or snap inside our backpack? Because that's what i'm basing my decision of putting the skull in the backpack or in the sack. Also, this trap is in the cold, dark fresco or the bright fresco? If the former, i'm gonna say that i did not say that Veryn is going with Vann Hector to the dark fresco.

[Stirling]

Vann Hector

I am thinking something like this;

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxxw-3Q4ptHa ... CtE_bFnSRK

[Spearmint]

What are the chances of thing breaks or snap inside our backpack? Because that's what i'm basing my decision of putting the skull in the backpack or in the sack. only if you take a 'crashing fall or blow' and then an item of bone or ceramic might make a Saving Throw vs damage.

Also, this trap is in the cold, dark fresco or the bright fresco? If the former, i'm gonna say that i did not say that Veryn is going with Vann Hector to the dark fresco.

I based the pit trap triggering on two things. Firstly Veryn not successfully detecting a trap and Vann not testing for one and Vann actioning going to the candleabra which crosses the threshold into the room and a few steps.

[Spearmint]

and Yes, Stirling, it is very much like that ...

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Two mages exploring alone, even at full health, is not a good idea, so they move back to where Rum is to explain what they find. Sigrid looks about, "Where are Vann and Veryn?"

[Spearmint]

Exploring the inner crypts

Vann Hector falls into a dark void ...

Calling for help, everyone gathers by the inner crypt.

Veryn eyes widens after surviving near death. He takes a lit torch, draws it away from the black hand skull and throws it to gauge how deep the trap hole goes.

"Mr. Hector!! Can you hear me?"

The pit is much, much deeper than any you have encountered before. Veryn lights a torch and tosses the firebrand to illuminate the narrow shaft. It drops quickly thirty feet or more than suddenly blinks slightly out of existence. There is no light from below and the only sound you hear is your own echo, "hear me, hear me, me, me."

The drop-leaf pit, using a similar mechanic to the other can be navigated with caution and Callan can reach the silver candleabra by the colourful mural.

The crypt has a cold chilly feel, quite the opposite to the bright fresco painted upon the wall, a faded mural of a warrior ascending into Ygg's blessing

It seems an ironic jest, since the descent seems anything but sunny or blessed.

Actions please

[Kenjosephus]

Do i get the silver bracelet, btw?

[Spearmint]

Do i get the silver bracelet, btw?

You can add it to your inventory.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Welp, he's dead.

Veryn is going to cut the weight of the trap to ensure no one will fall the same floor ever again.

Should we proceed from where Sigrid and Sundance has explored? Or is it time we call it quits?

Disarm trap if any vs 25% [1d100]=26

[Spearmint]

Veryn is going to cut the weight of the trap to ensure no one will fall the same floor ever again.

you can post a Remove Traps check to succeed on this attempt.

[Spearmint]

Should we proceed from where Sigrid and Sundance has explored? Or is it time we call it quits?

I need character decisions on how you wish to proceed.

Actions & considerations please.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

I'm voting to find Vann Hector which probably means at least a ladder or path below to a level below.
Since my disarm trap has failed, Veryn would like to use the melted wax from the candelabra to make a cross sign and a note written in thieves cant V.H was here.

Afterwards, he will start scouting ahead starting from the path Sigrid and Sundance have found, 10 feet ahead of the party, eye peeled upon the tile and 10 foot pole tapping ahead and throwing pebble for pit traps, and also mirror to look behind a corner and ceiling. He will return to the party as soon as there is a threat incoming.

Find trap vs 20% [1d100]=29 and disarm trap if any vs 25% [1d100]=21

[Craigers07]

Sigrid

Two mages exploring alone, even at full health, is not a good idea, so they move back to where Rum is to explain what they find. Sigrid looks about, "Where are Vann and Veryn?"

Rum

Rum points his finger at the pit. "A pit opened while they were exploring. I'm afraid Vann has fallen to his death."

"I'm up for continuing if that is what everyone wants to do. I don't expect we will ever see Vann again though.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the South Crypts

The 'pit of despair' that Vann Hector fell into is a dark void, seemingly bottomless. Certainly the firebrand dropped into the narrow shaft descended rapidly 60'ft, 100'ft, possibly more, it is hard to tell with little to guide you. Very soon even the fire bright light blinks out of noticeable sight. There is no echo from below save only you own voices.

Veryn tries in vain to disable the drop-leaf pit trap and after a few moments with the group staring into the pit considering the elf's fate, the leaves of the trapdoor begin to rise back up to reset its devious machinations. Vann's tricorn helm can be tossed into the pit after him, a short prayer spoken by Callan, a tear wiped away by Sundance.

The group decide to press on, "It's what he would have wanted."

Going through the second secret door, you emerge into a passage with thick, magical Darkness to your right, which you may assume is the other side of the Darkness past the archway in the passage to the North.

Proceeding South, the passage opens into an almost triangular chamber, about 40' ft by 50'ft wide along the perpendicular sides. There are two crypt doors set into arched stone frames, one in the south wall the other in the diagonal wall.

There are rotting wooden cabinets against the diagonal wall, they contain various folded linens, rusted toolkits, scrim netting for woodland camouflage, lengths of long creeper vines being trimmed and twisted into hemp-like ropes

A large and imposing statue looms in the corner, a gargoyle of grim features though its left arm seems deliberately amputated from the elbow down. The missing limb is not in the room.

A scurrying rat or two, alarmed at your intrusion are quick to scurry faster away, leaving you to examine the room in more detail.





Actions please

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Says a prayer to the All-Father for Vann, reluctant to leave without first making certain he is deceased, but there seems to be no easy way to verify this so she follows along with the group exploring further. As they enter the room she spies the gargoyle and moves to get a closer look, fascinated that such a monstrous creature would be molded from stone. She will look the statue over carefully especially the missing arm, wanting to see if it was a clean break or if it was created in that manner.

Intelligence (14) check: [4d6]=17

[Hadarai]

Callen

The cleric offers prayer for Vann Hector alongside Sigird and continues on with the rest of the group, "If we could find a way to the lower level we could at least recover his body for a proper burial, if carrying him back to town is impossible. I will still try to keep hope though, that we might see again still alive."

Inside of the gargoyle room, Callen will pull out the scrim netting and offer it up to anyone interested before inspecting the creeper vine ropes to see if any are in good enough shape and in long enough length to be of any use. (15' or more in length)

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Veryn will take the scrim netting offered by Callen. After checking for pit trap around the path of him towards the statue, he will take a see closer of what the statue are made out of and looks towards the direction of what the severed arm are pointing.

Find trap vs 20% [1d100]=43 and disarm trap if any vs 25% [1d100]=44

Just in case i need to, i will roll a wisdom check [4d6]=11 vs 12

[Spearmint]

Exploring beyond the Darkness

Taking a route through secret passages, the group come into the odf shaped hallway. Investigations made and checking thoroughly the surroundings lest another surprise pit open and swallow then all.

There are no traps, at least none trigger. The netting and ropes, variable lengths that you could knot together into a 50'ft coil. The toolkits are basic, barely functional. Small hammers with loose heads, bent pitons and wedging spikes, twisted lock picks and blunted chisels. You could gather a few bits together if you need at a push, (listed as toolkit: rusted oddments).

The gargoyle statue is an impressive and large feature, standing much taller than a man. It looks vandalised and the left arm seems to have been deliberately hacked off though strangely, the stump is tacky with thick, gluey seepage. You might wonder if the gargoyle is slowly regenerating itself or that some effort is made to repair the damage. The gaze of the gargoyle is set to stare at where its left hand might once have been, giving pause to consider what it may have been holding that was worth hacking it off.

Of the two doors, Rum takes one, Sundance the other. Each listens intently for any sound of activity beyond.

Listening at doors vs 1-2: [1d6]=3[1d6]=4

Neither dwarf or half-elf can discern anything. With a little trepidation, both doors can be opened, the NE one in the diagonal wall opens away from you into a crypt room, the other pulls open towards you with a passage beyond that descends to a junction where more steps to the right, left and straight on descend further.

Barrow Maze random vs 1-2: south passage [1d6]=5 crypt [1d6]=2

For those keen on taking to lower dungeon levels, the south passage offers promise. For those keen on carrying on with Vann Hector's original vision, the crypt offers a promise fulfilled. Certainly Gerdal's soothsaying augury rings true as inside the side crypt, four diminutive and one gaunt and taller 'patchwork' humanoids gather around a basic meal, breaking a mouldy loaf and passing around a silver goblet filled with a frothy brew. Each takes a sip as they sit cross-legged upon the floor. Mongrelmen, they look surprised to see you and their first reaction is one of fear and self preservation.

Actions please.