Quest #1 - The Search for Fonkin

[BaltoBruiser]

Gurkidd

Pulls out the map he has been keeping and shows it to Miranda. We saw no signs of your lost comrades but here is what we found while we were down in the ruins. We also saw no clues of Fonkin's whereabouts. Do you have any knowledge of the ruined dungeon and any ideas on where we should head?

I am way behind in sketching out a description of each of the rooms but will work on that this week and add that to the "maps" area.

[Eris]

Richard

"Gurkidd raises a good point, though I have some concerns." Richard steps closer to Quinn and pitches his voice low. He rolls up his blanket as loudly as he can, and makes sure the straps make quite a bit of noise as he straps it to his pack. "Think about after we find him. Fonkin and Cameron both depend on our choices then."

Quinn nods and says so all can hear, "Thank you Gurkidd. Yes, there were some Hobgoblins in there that we dealt with, but there are probably more, so Sleep it is."

To Richard, Quinn puts his finger against his nose and winks when Miranda isn't looking, "Also a good point, to save it for when we really need it." he whispers.

[Nemesis]

Miranda and party loaded the cart and mule and maneuvered back onto the road.

As the mule pulled the cart, the party scanned the now familiar landscape with increased vigilance. Miranda sat quietly in the cart's passenger seat. She kept a sharp on the road as she chewed on sunflower seeds.

Hours later, the party found the canopy-covered dirt road and pulled up to the ruins. Just like last time, not a soul in sight. The eerie feeling returned as Miranda commented on the lack of any sound of wind or birds in the area.

The party congregated in the ruins.

"Seeing as all of us need to go down, I took the liberty of giving the old gal some food," she said, a thumb jabbed toward the mule. "So long as we're not down there for too long, I think she'll be okay alone."

[archolewa]

Richard

"Probably not a bad idea." Richard hefts his polearm and gestures to Miranda. "Come on, you're up front with me. Quinn, a torch if you'll please."

Barring any objections I figure we'll head back to the skeleton room, which looks like we basically just follow the corridor until we reach the skeleton room in the southeast corner of what we've seen so far. We will keep an eye out for any wandering monsters, but I don't see any reason to take the time to poke for traps until we reach the skeleton room.

[Eris]

Quinn lights a torch and joins the line in the center.

[BaltoBruiser]

I like the plan of going to the skeleton room.

Gurkidd

Readies his shield and sling and heads out behind Richard and Miranda.

[Nemesis]

Miranda scoffed and joined Richard at the front of the pack. Balteus, Quinn, and Gurkidd followed.

Down into the dungeon the party went, navigating the dark yet familiar halls and keeping sharp eyes and ears for any wondering creatures. They found none.

After just over 30 minutes, they returned to the room with the three skeletons. Bone pieces lay scattered across the floor; splotches of dried blood streaked the floor and walls.

Miranda was the first through the threshold and walked over to a pile of rags worn by one of the skeleton soldiers. She crouched and inspected the cloth. She picked up a blade and shown it against Quinn's torch.

"I recognize these clothes, this sword," she said, in a low voice. "I think these were the men the boss sent down a while ago. It was a mystery as to what happened to them. Now I know their fates."

[Eris]

"A horrible fate, indeed!" says Quinn, "May their souls find peace now that they have been doubly dispatched."

"It beggers the question how they became thus." Quinn adds thoughtfully, "It takes a powerful magic user to turn a dead body into an undead skeleton. That necromancer is likely still about so we must be cautious."

"Has this room been thoroughly searched?" Quinn asks, as shines the torch around, "Secret doors in the walls, trap doors in the floor or ceiling."

[archolewa]

Richard

"Don't think so. I think we just retreated after I was wounded." Richard will begin carefully working his way through the room, pressing on the ground in front of him with his polearm.

[BaltoBruiser]

Gurkidd

Performs the rites of death per Heironeous' teachings over the remains hoping that their eternal end is peaceful. He then moves to the southern portion of the western wall in the room looking for a secret door.

[Nemesis]

The party searched the room. They found arrow slits in the wall and murder holes in the ceiling. Whoever made this room intended to give any trespassers a nasty surprise.

As Balto moved toward the western side of the room, his foot struck something on the floor.

Quinn heard the thud and moved -- cautiously -- closer with his torch. The light revealed a rusted box on the floor; a metal kept the latch shut.

[archolewa]

Richard

Richard looked at the murder holes and arrow slits. "Pretty good odds we know what happened to Miranda's colleagues."

Richard will gesture for the others to back up and will poke and jab at the box with his polearm. He will stand angled off the side, rather than directly in front of the box. He will rattle the latch, push it a few inches along the floor if he can, and study the tip of his polearm to see if the box left any sort of residue on it.

[Nemesis]

Richard poked and prodded the box, but it remained inert. The only residue left on his polearm was dust from being in this room for such a long time.

[BaltoBruiser]

Gurkidd

Miranda do you carry a set of tools to pick locks? If not, I think we might need to break that lock off.

[Nemesis]

"Normally I'd have some with me," Miranda said with a shrug. "But, not today."

She stepped closer to the box and crouched down, placing a hand on it. She moved her palm along its surface for a few seconds, then stepped back slowly.

"Looks harmless to me," she said. "Break the lock."

[BaltoBruiser]

Gurkidd smashes the lock with his mace to open the box

[Nemesis]

The lock fell to the floor; the clinking echoed throughout the room.

Gurkidd crouched and opened the box, his inner instinct scrunched his face and leaned his body back in slight anticipation of something popping out of the box.

Thankfully, nothing did.

Instead, Gurkidd retrieved 55 gold coins and 10 sling bullets.

"Nice," Balteus said, under his breath.

[BaltoBruiser]

Gurkidd


Heironeous has favored us! Does anyone else use a sling? He looks to his party members with a small smile due to the treasure. If not, I will add them to my collection.

He checks the bottom of the box for any false bottoms or secret compartments.

[Nemesis]

Gurkidd emptied the box and checked inside. He found nothing. He then ran his hands along the top and sides and lifted the box to check underneath. He also found nothing.

[archolewa]

Richard

"Try lifting it, then we can be certain we see the whole box, and should be able to eyeball the outside and inside to see if perhaps there is some space we haven't seen," said Richard, stepping forward to help him pick it up.