Session 5: The Crypt

[Marullus]

Unhappy about the time spent in such dry, thirsty work, Allric bends down and picks up the uncovered book. He pulls one of his light motes back to to the group to shed light on its pages. With a dismissive wave of his hand he sends the other two motes skittering around the large room to let everyone see its contents, dimensions, and exits more clearly.

[Ludanto]

Creeping to the foot of the stairs, you can see that the chamber is maybe 50 feet wide. At its center are the remains of a shattered obsidian statue. Dark archways lead west and north, and a dim, orange glow emanates from the doorway in the east wall.

The old, worn book appears to be a journal. The text embossed on the leather cover is dwarven, though the cursive entries inside appear to be in the common tongue.

What now?

[Marullus]

Leaving the others to inspect the room, Allric shifts to the side and takes a moment to read and consider the notes in Common throughout the journal. "If it says, 'such and such will kill you' that's something we aught to know in advance, hmmm?" he murmurs absently to the others, his fingers flipping.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Sweatimg and panting, Rabon rubs his sore back and sits on one of the nearby rocks. He let's the others explore the room a bit before getting up again. He stares at the ruined statue. What a waste of a statue. Stupid kobolds... We could have gotten a few dice worth of money for that.

I'll let someone else drive the narrative. Berry, perhaps?

[Ludanto]

Allric, the text is dense, the penmanship poor, and the dialect unfamiliar. It will likely take some time to cull anything useful from the old journal.

What now? Berry? Thag? Alfred?

[Marullus]

Okay, so you are saying that's a turn and a Scholar check if I continue? What difficulty?

[shroomofinsanity]

Berry sees Allric trying to puzzle over the journal, and recalling what his elder had once said about the difficulty of the written word, offers to aid or even take a crack at the book himself. Also after shooting down his water without a second thought he exclaims to Rabon that's quite the physical labor mr. Rabon. I'm sorry I couldn't help more than I did. What do you think the kobolds do down here?

[Ludanto]

As you stand at the foot of the stairs, huddled around the small book, you get the impression that the author is a bit of an adventurer, and there are names of people and places that you don't recognize. Some time passes as you puzzle through the dense script, until your concentration is broken by a "donking" sound. You look up the stairs to see something like a leather-bound apple with a small gout of sizzling white fire in place of a stem, bouncing down the stairwell toward you.

"Donk. Donk. Donk. Ssssssss..."

What now?

[Marullus]

As an experienced alchemist (who makes much use of such devices for showmanship in his "magical" performances), Allric recognizes the device. "Get Back!" he shouts to the others, stepping boldly forward. He grabs the ball to pluck the fuse and neutralize it. He instinctively adds a showman's flourish and calls up the stairwell in a bold voice, "Conjurers of cheap tricks! Do you not know who I am!"


Playin' that belief to the hilt!

[Rusty Tincanne]

Rabon doesn't need to be told twice. He rolls off the large rock he is sitting on in an effort to hide behind it. What is it, Allric!? he whispers.

[Ludanto]

Tough trick for a nearsighted old man! Allric, Test Health, Ob2!

[Rusty Tincanne]

Realizing his elderly friend has put himself in harm's way for the others Rabon peeks out. How can I help?
+1D from Rabon.

[Ludanto]

This is all happening pretty quickly. I can't see more than one person helping to grab this thing. And since they don't already know what to do, even that might be too much.

[Marullus]

Allric steps forward boldly, no time for anyone to help. Confident in his knowledge and use of such explosive devices, he pauses over it to examine it... perhaps a little too long as he thoughtfully makes his observations. Oh! quite clever! They've routed that fuse through the... He reaches to defuse it a moment too late.

Health 3D, -1D Thoughtful (+1 Check)
Heath Ob2 [1d6] = 1[1d6] = 2

[Ludanto]

Suddenly, the stairwell is consumed by fire and thunder. Poor Allric is engulfed in the inferno, only to be shot out, down the stairs past the other adventurers, coming to rest in a smoking heap just inside the room.

Yet, the tough old codger rises with a cough, dusting at his sooty robes. Stunned, his ears ring violently, and he can barely see past the spots dancing in his vision.

The explosion's echoes finally fade, only to be answered by a knocking sound from the darkness, and a distant, inhuman howl from someplace distant, yet not distant enough.

What now?

[BillTheGalacticHero]

Kobolds! Away from the stairs, they may throw more bombs!

I get Betsy, my crossbow, ready; and I drop my backpack into a back corner of the room.

[Marullus]

"Ungh..." grunts Allric as he wobbles to his feet. He pulls two Light Motes into the chamber, leaving one in the excavated hallway to guide his companions through, since he has unceremoniously led the retreat. "The journal!" he whispers to himself, feeling around to make sure he still has it and it hasn't come to harm. He leaves the kobolds up to the others for the moment as he assuages his own bruises.

[Rusty Tincanne]

What the!?... That's just uncalled for! They could've collapsed the ceiling and trapped us inside, the little fu.... Rabon stops short, noting Allric sprawled on the floor. Say Allric, you alright? Rabon waves his hands to get the mage's attention.

Hey Thag and Alfred, check the stairs, eh? Berry and I will check on Allric.

[shroomofinsanity]

Berry rushes to Allric's side to check on his friend's wellbeing. Excuse me, Berry shouts up the stairs invoking his instinct I feel that perhaps we may be under some kind of misunderstanding?

[BillTheGalacticHero]

It'll be hard to bargain with reptiles, Berry, kobolds aren't warm and cuddly. As I remember a big pile of rocks being dumped on my head.