Barrowmaze: Territorial Gains.

[redwarrior]

Oh, that's a good idea. Isvand would do that before the groups separate.

[Monsieur Rose]

SIr Dewey

As the miners set up and bash, he looks towards the darkness. "There it is. In all the commotion, I can't remember if anyone has tried a magical means of dispersing it."

The Knight contemplates the area. "I'm not sure if things will come from the darkness, or if that's an unpassable area."

[OGRE MAGE]

Amos skirts the edge of the pit to see into the darkness better.

"Is this where Vann fell?"

He stares into the black void.

"Hello? Is there anyone in there?"

When the miners start bashing the wall, he tries tossing a chunk of rubble into the darkness and beyond.

"Isvand, try using the magic ears to see if the others saw that chunk come through on their side."

[redwarrior]

Isvand relays the question

[sastaz]

Gerdal wanders up and stands next to Amos, contemplating the black void beyond for a while.

"You know, I can have a look inside of there. I don't have a problem seeing in darkness, even a conjured one." She says casually.

If I recall correctly, Harkazz can be affected by the same spells as Gerdal? In that case she will cast Witch sight and have Harkazz use the ceiling to walk past the pit and have a look what's inside the darkness. If this is not possible, she will save the spell for when they've crossed the pit somehow.

[Spearmint]

If this is not possible,

No, this is fine, Harkazz can scuttle away into the Darkness and you view the scene by empathetic link to describe to others.

"Is this where Vann fell?"

No, he fell in a pit inside a crypt near the 'Mongrelman' area. This pit is about 9'ft square and 30'ft deep. It was the once in which De Ogilvy discovered Peaches in a block of ice after she triggered the pit and fell inside and the Ice Cube triggered its magic upon her hitting the floor.

he tries tossing a chunk of rubble into the darkness and beyond.

No apparent response to this except hearing it bounce and skid in the passage ahead.

Isvand relays the question, "if the others saw that chunk come through on their side."

They respond they did not see the rubble brick come through the Darkness that is warding a corridor near them.

I will wait on Cosmo & Gideon then update here.

[OGRE MAGE]

Amos raises an eyebrow to Gerdal.

"Interesting. If they didn't see the rock I threw come out on their side, there might be another teleport trap in there. I would guess that's why the darkness remains, to cover it."

"Of course, that is only speculation on my part."

Has anyone explored this pit? If not, Amos will tie off a rope to drop in and have a look around.

[ateno]

Cosmo waits in the back, making sure his throwing daggers are smooth in the sheath and letting those that want to be in charge talk.

Cosmo

[Spearmint]

Pressing on:

Has anyone explored this pit? If not, Amos will tie off a rope to drop in and have a look around.

The pit can be easily accessed. Bones and detritus litter the bottom with fragments of unmelted ice stuck in the pit corners but it is otherwise unremarkable and unlike the pit Vann Hector fell into, this one does have a solid bottom.

Isvand receives a reply in his Elf's Ears, confirming the other group who must not be too far away if the maps align, did not see the tossed rubble thrown into the Darkness.

Harkazz the chameleon, augmented with Witch Sight scuttles into the dark and soon notices the reason why!

The Darkness must fill a passage about thirty feet in length but halfway down, a portion of unstable wall has collapsed more rubble across the passage. To the west side is an alcove or crypt and standing in that place looks like an undead guardian. An armoured knight with a dented shield and ridged helm. The tossed brick at his feet. He bends to look at it with interest, picking it up and after peering at it and up the passage into the room you stand in, the knight squeezes the rick in powerful hands, crumbling it into grainy dust.

Harkazz melds further into the ceiling corners, taking as dark and shadowy colouring as he can which tones Gerdal's own skin.

The knight is no mere skeleton by appearance, indeed his bones glisten jet black and his eyes are only orbs of fire in deep set empty sockets. He grimaces a rictus grin and silently draws a long, black bladed sword.



actions please.

[sastaz]

Gerdal recoils and snaps back to using her own eyes (commanding Harkazz to get his Chameleon ass back immediately).

"We've got some kind of dark skeleton guardian demon incoming. Sword looks magic, or cursed. Stay on your toes, the darkness might not be lingering in a place, but rather following along the undead guardian."

With her witch sight, can she see from outside the zone of darkness, if the undead black guardian is approaching?

[Spearmint]

if the undead black guardian is approaching?

No, it waits, eternally patient.

[sastaz]

Gerdal after a few turns of waiting.

"Huh. Well, we try to deal with it or avoid it forever I guess. Maybe if someone could conjure blessed light to counter the darkness. Amos? Are we even equipped to deal with something like that right now?"

[ateno]

"all I can do is use a normal light, which I am willing to try if need so."

Cosmo

[Monsieur Rose]

Sir Dewey

"Try talking to it. We've found that there are the bodies of heroic champions down here as well. Many of whom have been condemned in some way."

[OGRE MAGE]

Satisfied with the empty pit bottom, Amos is pulled back up to deal with this new threat.

He is about to unleash the power of the gauntlet at the unseen undead, to bring forth both light and pain, but stops and nods respectfully after Sir Deweys suggestion.

[Spearmint]

Interestingly, the shield of Sir Dewey does not illuminate which may indicate the strange knight hiding in the Darkness is not 'Undead' or that the detection ability of the shield to pick up the undead is limited by the magical dark.

Suggestions are made to engage the figure or cast a counter Light spell.

The miners return to thudding the ram against the blocked wall north of the pit.

actions please

[ateno]

Cosmo waits during the pause.

"So, since no one really has a idea, do we have to engage this poor undead that seems to be only bound to one area? Is this necessary, I am still hurting from the acid and not really into a fight, unless we have to. Ideas?"

Cosmo

[Spearmint]

While discussions are made and fearful glances cast towards the Dark passage, the miners continue to pound the blocked up wall.

Fractured in the stonework mount up, the wall yielding to the constant hammering.

Breaching the wall consequences: vs 1-2 [1d6]=4

Eventually the minutes go by without intrusion from the 'dark knight' and no inquisitive persons drawn to the area from the nearby surrounds. Isvand can use Elf-Ear to let Sigrid know you have made a sufficient breakthrough to breach the unknown area. The other group continue to explore.

The breach is widened and stone bricks removed, sufficient to allow each person to squeeze uncomfortably by, easier for the smaller comrades. Peering through before any brave person takes the plunge, you can see a dry by ferid passage extending sixty feet at least northwards with three crypts set at regular intervals on the left hand side (west). There are no lights or sounds emanating from the passage but several bleached white and well gnawed bones do litter the floor which gives that slight warning that all may not be so favourable ahead.

actions everyone please

[OGRE MAGE]

Amos looks at the undead looking guardian of the dark passage.

"Excuse me friend. Can we be of some service to you. How did you get in here and what is your purpose, if I may ask?"

[redwarrior]

Isvand I expect that we'll have to attend to this fellow sooner or later, but I am fine with later for the moment! "turning on" the elf-ear he continues And we've made sufficient progress in breaching this wall to find what will probably be sufficient trouble down that way!