Action Thread #10 - The Mine

[Stonjuz]

"Still say this is a bad idea. We didnt climb down off this mountain just to go inside of it now did we. Plentotime to be comon back and be dungeoun crawlin'once we gets back ta civlazation."

[Grognardsw]

Thurinor / mine tunnels

"Aye, despite aroma of goblin arse, let us put thought to action and investigate side passage," states Thurinor. Holding a loaded crossbow in one hand and the torch in the other, the elf proceeds with the others to investigate the side passage.

[onlyme]

Malone stands in the intersection, watching for trouble as they investigate.
Holler if you need me.

[ragnboneshopper]

Day 7, Late Morning: The Side Passage

"What issss that sssmell? Normally I don't sssmell much but that isss ssstrong - we sssshould proccceed with caution. It tassstesss jussst ass bad I can asssure you!" Swilbosh weaves his snout around in the air, flicking his tongue in and out - clearly trying determine source of the stench.

Wrinkling his nose because of the smell, Andrin says: "Even though it stinks badly, we should probably check that side passage first before we continue with the main tunnel. I wouldn't want anything to surprise us from behind."

Stonjuz is in total agreement with this and seems shocked a bit that the party thinks it has not been taken care of already. "No, nuthin to surprise us from behind......'çept civilization"

"I also agree with Andrin" says Ozborn. "I'm going to take a wild guess here that the smell is the natural aroma of goblin living quarters. ...I hope they don't keep pets."

Stonjuz then explains himself more clearly: "Still say this is a bad idea. We didnt climb down off this mountain just to go inside of it now did we. Plentotime to be comon back and be dungeoun crawlin'once we gets back ta civlazation."

But Thurinor joins with the others in wanting to investigate: "Aye, despite aroma of goblin arse, let us put thought to action and investigate the side passage."

Only Malone seems with Stonjuz less than eager to push forward. He stands alone in the intersection, watching for trouble as the others investigate. "Holler if you need me," he calls out from behind.

What Malone's companions find is an almost immediate change in the nature of the tunnel. What had been a roughly squared-off mine tunnel now becomes narrower and more circular, with barely a trace of support timbers, and these only at odd places where one can see that someone has been at work in the mine. Indeed, Stonjuz reports that there is nearly no trace of iron ore, as if any easily reachable iron has been cleared out of this section of tunnel.

As the spelunking companions continue single file, the smell becomes even more powerful: an unavoidable, nearly mind-invading presence that requires real effort to ignore. You reach a spot where the passage splits, and you pause to consider your next move.


OK, tell me what you want to do next. The gray blotches represent the extent of what you can see of tunnels that keep going beyond sight. The main tunnel keeps going roughly south (out by where Malone is standing watch) and the smaller, winding tunnel going east has split: the part you're exploring turns north and another part branches off of it to the east and then immediately branches again, heading north and south. I'm assuming Malone has a torch and that the rest of you have at least one torch lit and are taking every precaution...

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[onlyme]

Malone yells toward the party...

Guys, anything you see? Do I need to come save you?

[Stonjuz]

"What in the hells are we looking for?"
Stonjuz has a firm grasp of his holy symbol. He nervously runs his thumb along the worn spot as if trying to start a fire.
"Even though he's probably the smartest of the bunch, for staying back, we should advance Malone."
Then louder, for Malone to hear. "Yes, Yes. Of course you need to come save us. You dont want to die out there all by yourself do ya?"

[ChubbyPixie]

Let's not alert whatever may be in here. Ozborn says just loud enough for the others to hear. Someone should run back and get Malone. Then I say we investigate the left passage first, with Malone in the rear to guard our back should anyone approach from that way. What do you think?

[Grognardsw]

Thurinor / smelly tunnel

"This vile stench is not natural," warns the elf prestidigitator, pausing. "The natural state of these tunnels mean the goblins had no mining interest in them, hence there is likely to be no goblin threat, or treasure, down these passages."

Thurinor sniffs again. "Is it some harmful gas we're breathing, or the scent of a creature best left alone?"

With his waterskin, the elf wets part of his cloak edge, tears it off and wraps it around his mouth and nose hoping it will help against the noxious odors.

[Sir Clarence]

"Perhaps it's just the goblin's latrine. But we should still check this out. And who knows, there might be be valuable samples for the dwarf's collection to be found there..."

[zebediah]

Does Ogirdor identify any tracks?

[ChubbyPixie]

Well, if we are of two minds about it, I volunteer to sneak ahead quietly along this left path alone to see if I can discern anything useful while you all wait here quietly, then report back... suggests Ozborn.

[onlyme]

Malone being the somewhat self-centered chap he is... hollers back,
If it smells that bad, why dont we progress through this other way first. Sounds deadly that direction.

[Grognardsw]

Thurinor silently nods his head yes to Ogirdor's suggestion.

[ragnboneshopper]

Day 7, Late Morning: The Side Passage, cont.

After waiting for tense minutes, Malone yells toward the party, "Guys, anything you see? Do I need to come save you?"

At the same time, Stonjuz mutters, "What in the hells are we looking for?" He has a firm grasp of his holy symbol. He nervously runs his thumb along the worn spot as if trying to start a fire. "Even though he's probably the smartest of the bunch, for staying back, we should advance Malone." Then louder, for Malone to hear. "Yes, Yes. Of course you need to come save us. You dont want to die out there all by yourself do ya?"

"Let's not alert whatever may be in here," Ozborn says just loud enough for the others to hear. "Someone should run back and get Malone. Then I say we investigate the left passage first, with Malone in the rear to guard our back should anyone approach from that way. What do you think?"

"This vile stench is not natural," warns Thurinor, pausing. "The natural state of these tunnels mean the goblins had no mining interest in them, hence there is likely to be no goblin threat, or treasure, down these passages." The elf prestidigitator sniffs again. "Is it some harmful gas we're breathing, or the scent of a creature best left alone?" With his waterskin, the elf wets part of his cloak edge, tears it off and wraps it around his mouth and nose hoping it will help against the noxious odors, which it does.

As Thurinor does so, his senses tell him the smell is stronger straight ahead of the party, coming from the tunnel running north and south, and not so strong to the left. Pointing this out to the party, all agree that the stench has a direction to it that perhaps may be followed. (And by the way, none of you feel exactly sickened by the smell, but you simply can't ignore this odor, which is like nothing you have ever experienced. It is not the kind of smell that you feel naturally inclined to go nearer to...)

At which Andrin considers: "Perhaps it's just the goblin's latrine. But we should still check this out. And who knows, there might be valuable samples for the dwarf's collection to be found there..."

Meanwhile, Ogirdor casts about for any signs that might give him knowledge of a creature's recent passing. Underground, this proves a difficult challenge. He knows that he might track the goblin's movements to see if they come this way, but only if he were to start back by the dead goblins and follow the sign directly, which after this long would itself not be an easy task and would take some time. In any case he can discern no trail here of tracks, and the smooth-walled tunnels are unlike anything he has seen before in nature.

(Just going to play this more or less by the book as per the PHB. I would waive the 30-minute time limit to begin tracking should you choose to go back, but to this point you haven't explicitly been tracking, unless I've misunderstood... )

"Well, if we are of two minds about it, I volunteer to sneak ahead quietly along this left path alone to see if I can discern anything useful while you all wait here quietly, then report back...," suggests Ozborn. And he snatches up a torch to do so, moving as quietly as he can along the narrow tunnel branching to the left. What he finds is a short, winding section of tunnel much the same as what the party has already experienced. The tunnel comes to an abrupt end, and Ozborn nearly trips over a pile of what looks like more waste stones from apparent mining activities like those seen back in the main section of this underground. By accident he causes one stone to fall, producing a muted clatter that is rather less than alarming and only serves to highlight the extreme silence of this place.

Ozborn, thief's roll: [1d100] = 67

Out in the meeting point of passageways, the rest of the party waits for Malone to catch up. But he hollers back, "If it smells that bad, why dont we progress through this other way first. Sounds deadly that direction."

With all this hollering, some of you cringe and expect the worst, but absent the party's talking, there is no sound in this place other than your breathing, and the horrible smell does not abate...


Chubby, hope you don't mind my pushing ahead. I knew you wouldn't get eaten and thought it better to keep things going... Let me know if you want to investigate the tunnel any further, otherwise, you can assume you reported back to the main party.

Onlyme, if you decide you want Malone to catch up with the others anyway (depending on what you all decide to do), you can go ahead...

Actions for next turn?

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[onlyme]

Once he realizes the rest of the party isnt coming back, Malone reluctantly follows their path to catch up.

[ChubbyPixie]

No worries 'tall...

Ozborn returns to the group. "Nothing down the left tunnel but a dead end and a pile of mining slag. It seem this is part of the mine after all (as far as I can tell). But it smells like the inside of a fake leg." he says. I hope whatever is causing the stench has a poor sense of hearing, though. What with all the yelling. Shall I scout out the other way?

[Stonjuz]

"..... it smells like the inside of a fake leg."

Stonjuz chuckles. "Are we really going to map this hellhole out? Which evil baron, what townsfolk, what mad scientist is gonna pay us for this? None. One more tunnel and we go...ok? at least back to the main tunnel."

[ChubbyPixie]

"..... it smells like the inside of a fake leg."

Stonjuz chuckles. "Are we really going to map this hellhole out? Which evil baron, what townsfolk, what mad scientist is gonna pay us for this? None. One more tunnel and we go...ok? at least back to the main tunnel."

"Actually, I'm with you, Stonjuz. Let me check out one more tunnel - if nothing promising results, I vote we head back to the main tunnel and continue. This place seems... smells evil in the truest sense of the word... I mean, look at Stonjuz's turtle. It's drooping. ...or does it always look like that?" Ozborn says looking to the others..

[Stonjuz]

"He doesnt seem to mind but...,"Stonjuz begins unstrapping his helm to see for himself this talk of turtles drooping. If the turtle is indeed affected by the cave, then the dwarf will begin walking back out, at all costs, all the while thinking of remedy.

I suppose he could use a small mirror to check on the creature, (even talking to it thru the mirror) Will the boccob silver symbol be polished enough to see a reflection? Probably not? but wouldnt that be cool.

[Grognardsw]

Thurinor feels the urge to relieve himself and does so against the wall.

"Perhaps my elven piss will make this place smell better."