Chapter 2: Back to the Barrows!

[drpete]

Investigating the north door, Nimh finds it stuck.

Approaching the corpse, you see that it is slick with blackish blood, like some of the zombies you've faced before. This one seems to have had its head crushed in.

You guys are in a bare 30x30 room. The rooms down here are starting to all feel similar, and you are definitely getting tired.

There is a door to the southwest (which you came in), and a door to the north, which is stuck. There's a door to the east, which hasn't been checked, and the hallway to the east, with the corpse.

The hallway to the east has a door north in the first 10 feet. The hallway continues to the east.

[Rex]

Nimh

Nimh will check the door to the east. "Time to take a rest I think."

[drpete]

Nimh checks the door to the east. It opens onto a scene of carnage.

In this little 10x20 space, there are several bodies in various stages of ruin. Several of them, by the look of them, were zombies. One of them is a familiar looking body. You are back at the spot where Fane was killed. His body lies face down where you left him after one of these zombies got him, his things apparently undisturbed by looters.

There is a door to the east from this small room.

[Fingolwyn]

Nimh checks the door to the east. It opens onto a scene of carnage.

In this little 10x20 space, there are several bodies in various stages of ruin. Several of them, by the look of them, were zombies. One of them is a familiar looking body. You are back at the spot where Fane was killed. His body lies face down where you left him after one of these zombies got him, his things apparently undisturbed by looters.

There is a door to the east from this small room.

Lhainor

So we've come in a circle, and the rats probably are the same ones we bypassed earlier.

Let's rest a bit in this room, then head back through the SW diagonal door we just came in and either check the other door in the T intersection, or go all the way back to the other diagonal door near the Green Man crypt. Does anyone have a preference?

I'll continue keeping watch at the diagonal door. Someone keep watch down the corridor.

[drpete]

You guys are pretty fresh off of a rest, actually. You're getting a bit tired in that you've been on the go since early in the morning, and it's about 5:30, but you don't need another 10 minute rest at the moment

[Rex]

Nimh

"We should keep an eye open for somewhere easily defensible to spend the night, preferebly where it doesn't stink like rotting bodies."

[snake_hunter]

Was the niche behind the secret door in the Green Man crypt large enough for us to stay the night in? If so, I vote we head back that way for further exploration, otherwise I'm leaning toward opening the closer door on the T intersection.

[Fingolwyn]

If we're looking for a place to hole up for the night, there is also the skull room. We rested there before:

You close the door quickly, and check out the other door. It also opens fairly easily. Within is a 20x20 room with a dusty table in the center. On the table, you see three skulls.

The rats are scrabbling against the door to the south. If you want to keep them from getting through the door, a spike would probably do the trick...

Or we could go all the way out to the entry mound, pull up the ropes and guard the swamp entrance.

But we probably could cram ourselves (not very comfortably) into the Green Man shrine...one in each corner and one at the altar on watch. A ten hour shift would give everyone eight hours sleep.

In any case, we probably won't have any light. We don't have the torches/oil to spare if we intend to adventure a full day tomorrow too.

If we're not looking to hole up for the night, I'm fine with moving on through the South door in the T intersection.

[drpete]

The niche be j ing the green man crypt was 10x10, so you could all fit there... and there are other places, as well.

[Fingolwyn]

Lhainor

So are we holing up for the night (I assume in the Green Man shrine nearby), or are we pressing on?

If pressing on, are we headed to the South door in the T corridor, or back through the T corridor to the other diagonal door?

[ybn1197]

Moony

I propose a combination of both. Which of those two options of doors takes us in the direction of the Green Man shrine? I think we should explore a little more but not wonder too far from where we will be resting.

[Rex]

Sounds good.

[drpete]

Well, you are considering one door that is close to you now (going through the southwest door, then going south to the T, or going east from the T, through a secret door, and then southwest. The green man shrine is kind of close to both of those options, which are only about 30-40 feet apart.

[Fingolwyn]

Lhainor

It sounds like we want to go back towards the Green Man shrine and check the other diagonal door on the way. Depending on what we find, we might continue from there, or keep going (after seeing what's behind the door) to overnight at the shrine.

Is this what we want to do?

[Rex]

Nimh

Sounds good.

[ybn1197]

Moony

Sounds good to me.

[drpete]

Alright, so you go back through the southwest door, then take the east passage back to the secret door. Going through that, you come to the little alcove with the door heading southwest.

You open the door, and find a small wedge-shaped room. The west wall is 20 feet long, with a door, heading west, in the southern end. The north and south walls of the room go only 10 feet before each turning 45 degrees. Each of those slanted walls has a door in it... you came in the northeast door, and there is also a door in the southeast wall.

The room is mostly bare, but there is a musky scent in the room, like it is an animal lair. There is some garbage strewn about... bits of food, an old rag. Whatever lives here doesn't seem to be present at the moment.

There is a door to the west, and a door to the southeast.

[Rex]

Nimh

Nimh will carefully search the room, then if she doesn't find anything try the untried door.

[drpete]

Just to be clear, there are *two* untried doors, west and southeast...

[Rex]

Nimh

West