5. A Surprise Party?

[Computer +1]

After missing the poker as a lever and after fumbling the only trap he has seen so far Tumbler is not taking any chances. He carefully enters the room and doesn't touch anything. He looks everywhere for any sign of trap or trigger or secret anything. He pays particular attention to the skeleton the torch and the torch holder. He also examines, without touching, the coins as much as possible to determine if they could be coated in poison. The poison in particular is not something is can really check for in depth and he knows it. His cousin is much more experienced with all manners of poisons and things of that nature....

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 6:10 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Agrippo wakes at the commotion. He congratulates Tumbler and takes over the watch in the study while Tumbler explores the secret room. The Sunsword remains dim for now.

Tumbler carefully examines the coins, skeleton, torch, and sconce, but touches nothing. The coins seem to be normal coins. As far as he can tell, their sheen is but the usual shininess of precious metal. The skeleton appears untrapped, as does the torch in the dead man's gauntleted hand. The torch clearly fits in the empty sconce. Tumbler's keenly skilled eyes easily recognize that the sconce would trigger some mechanism if the torch were replaced.

Turning to the large chest, Tumbler marvels at the construction. The boards meet almost without seams, and there is no gap in the perfectly straight lines between the lid and the body of the chest. With a bit of disappointment, he notices that there is no lock on the chest, only a simple latch.

He checks the walls of the room, and sees a tell-tale crack in the east wall near the empty sconce. The crack is clearly the outline of another secret door!

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 23/34; Fendt: 19/19
Effects: None

[Computer +1]

Tumbler is really pleased with himself at noticing the second secret door. Thats what they pay you for.. he mutters to himself as he finished the inspection. He takes a second look at the chest without a lock. The idea of having a chest and not locking is so foreign to him that he is immediately suspicious. He stays clear of it and instead replaces the torch in the holder to see if it triggers the other door open.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 6:20 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Tumbler leaves the chest alone, distrusting any chest without a lock. He takes the torch from the skeleton's hand and places it in the sconce. With a groan of stone against stone, the secret door opens into an ancient hall choked with spider webs. Their dusty forms hide the very walls and ceiling. The webs are broken by a single cleared path down the center of the room.

Map 5g.png (119.66 KiB) Viewed 823 times

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 23/34; Fendt: 19/19
Effects: None

[MonkeyWrench]

Leaving the coins, chest, and armor adventurer alone for the moment Iluq will peer down the new secret tunnel to see if his sight will reveal anything.

[Zhym]

The path down the web-choked room bends. You can't see what's at the other end from the doorway.

[Zhym]

Do any of the party members who are awake want to explore the hall full of webs?

[Computer +1]

Tumbler is curious but he knows better. He motions for Iluq to move back before he removes the torch again to seal the door.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 6:30 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Tumbler knows better than to wander into a web-filled room while most of his companions are still sleeping. He motions Iluq away from the room and removes the torch from its sconce. The secret door grinds shut.

A few minutes after Tumbler returns to the study, the Sunsword lights up. Those of you who are awake (Tumbler, Agrippo, Iluq, and the village people) hear steps outside the the door to the north hallway. The handle rattles for a moment and a woman's voice mutters a mild curse. The couch barricade seems to be holding the door closed, at least for now.

Actions?

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 19/15
Effects: None

[Computer +1]

Tumbler moves as close to the door as he can and attempts to hide in the shadows. He has his dagger at the ready and murder in his heart.

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt speaks in his sleep again "Ireena? Is that you? The others are looking for you. How did you get here with me?" and he trails off in his dreams.

[Cwreando]

Robert continues to try and sleep as much as he can so he can then rest to regain/memorize spells to better assist the party. If alerted by the guards he wakes and draws his scimitar and readies his shield.

[Stirling]

Agrippo will move around the room with the Sunsword held aloft, trying to spot the changes in the glowing dweomer that might point to ghoulies at the south door or coming through the staircase. Does the sword glow brighter in one direction or area? Do we recognise the voice?


"Anyone ever heard of the 'entrapment fly'? little round juicy creature that deliberately gets itself stuck in the spiders webs and buzzes away, spider comes crawling thinking it is meal time and then whoosh, fly spits cone of acid burning and killing spidey, fly crawls across web and gorges itself on spideys; eyes! maybe we should explore the secret passageway and tempt Strahd into a trap of our own"... Agrippos' dreams being the source of his inspiration.

[Zhym]

Date: Nouluna 5, 1221
Time: 6:31 AM
Weather: Rain
Moon: Full
Location: Castle Ravenloft, Study
**************************************

Tumbler and Agrippo prepare to meet whoever—or whatever—is on the other side of the door. The dwarf finds an ideal spot to attempt a backstab. Agrippo moves about the room holding the Sunsword like a beacon, looking for changes in the sword's brightness. The sword's undead-detection dweomer appears to be an all-or-nothing thing: when the warrior moves 30' from the door to the north hallway, the Sunsword resumes its normal, soft glow. He moves back toward the door. The Sunsword flares again.

After a moment, you hear the woman's voice curse again, followed by the sound of receding footsteps. The Sunsword dims.

You resume your watch schedules. Agrippo takes a rest while Tumbler finishes his shift. Dawn eventually comes. Even outside of this windowless room, a slight brightening of the dark gray cloud cover is only evidence of sunrise. The remainder of Tumbler's watch is undisturbed. He wakes Agrippo, whose watch is also quiet. Perhaps the haunted castle is less active during the day?

The villagers take turns keeping watch with you until late morning. While most of you sleep, Barnabus and Bob bid farewell and good luck to Agrippo. The villagers leave with Gertruda through the dusty dining room's window, the way they came in. Agrippo re-stakes the door shut.

You finally wake sometime in the afternoon. Robert begins his meditations. Iluq starts his prayers. Tibbius and Fendt study their spell books.

You have survived a night in Strahd's castle! Most of you, anyway.

Please post your spell lists in the OOC thread, even if you already did earlier. If you'll use the format in that post, it will make it easier for me to paste in. Thanks!

Status: Agrippo: 33/52, Tibbius: 2/10, Iluq: 15/34, Tumbler: 24/39, Robert: 16/27; Fendt: 19/15
Effects: None

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt if awake and studying his spells as the villagers leave will bid them all farewell and thanks for the watch aid they gave. He then turns to the others "So Tumbler. nice job finding that fireplace secret passage. Shall we get to exploring that now or resume trying to locate Strahd and Ireena?"

[Cwreando]

Robert sees off the villager reassuring the young girl and the villagers it's for the best.

After memorizing spells and stretching a bit Robert says, "That's better. I feel refreshed and invigorated. Now what's this you've found Tumbler? I'd suggest we investigate this new area you've found. Perhaps we can use a torch to burn away the webs but i'd be worried about what made those in the first place. As a bonus though, if we find it abandoned or we can clean it out, it may provide a suitably safe resting place as we continue to deal with Stradt and his undead army here."

[MonkeyWrench]

Iluq stretches, rolling his shoulders under his armor. He looks at the group, his jaw set and his eyes focused, "We find Strahd. His days are numbered."

[Computer +1]

Tumbler inwardly is pleased with the praise although he shows no sign of it on the outside.....he hopes. I'd say we should go exploring in the secret tunnel. Maybe its a backdoor to Capt Vamp himself. I dunno. Why bother having two secret doors and have it not lead to somethin'?

[GreyWolfVT]

Fendt "well then shall we go find out?"

[Cwreando]

Iluq stretches, rolling his shoulders under his armor. He looks at the group, his jaw set and his eyes focused, "We find Strahd. His days are numbered."

Robert while not real familiar with the Dark elfs mannerisms or persona, gets a gut feeling he can trust the elf. Robert goes over to Iluq and puts a hand on his shoulder saying, "We have the same goal half brother noting his half lineage to Iluq. We will find him but we need a secure place to rest my friend especially if this takes longer than we think. The more we destroy in here the better odd we have of either killing Strahd or driving him far away from here."