CHAPTER 2: Beyond the Secret Door

[Ardak2000]

Tony tidies up Hanover's tunic, mumbling something about "...looking good where you're going". He also grabs the little green marble that the noble was so fond of, with "I'll keep this safe for ya".

Betty stands over Michel's twisted lifeless body. Wordlessly she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small vial of clear liquid, unstoppers it and sprinkles a few drops over the elf. She then turns to the rest of the group and asks "When's Lunch"?

[drpete]

Einstein and Knuckles will try to move through the crowded intersection into the eastern hallway. Are those jail cells down there?

Luke will hang back with the others.

[Norjax]

...

Arya tries to make sense of the images and symbols inked onto the spiders. She does not recognize the writing, but it is similar to the wall and floor markings discovered thus far.

Derrek pokes at one of the corpses. The foul, rotted corpse begins to form black wounds where he prods the body. He doesn’t see any indication of hidden gems.

Ruby and Anne confirm the markings match those found in the previous areas. The spider corpses have the appearance of legendary animated dead.

Einstein and Knuckles press ahead, through the crowd and bodies. The can see several cells with open doors along the north wall. In the west-most enclosure is a skeleton wearing a tattered loincloth. The barred door to this cell is shut, possibly locked.

Their advance also reveals an intersection 5ft. beyond the last cell.

LePlank and Zeek divide Tiberius’ gear.

Tony salvages Hanover’s belongings and Betty performs a sort of ceremony over Michel’s body.

Luke moves closer to the main group.

Action Details:

Characters:

MAP 45

Actions?

Light Sources: Torch (Zeek), Torch (Anne), Torch (Knuckles), Candle (Derrek), Torch (Luke), Glowing Ball (Einstein)

Hit Points [Luck Points]

Knuckles 3/3 [0]
Einstein 1/1 [3]
Luke 1/1 [0]

Tony 2/2 [14]
Betty 4/4 [15]

Zeek 2/5 [0]
LePlank 3/3 [0]
Anne 4/4 [14]

Arya 1/4 [11]
Derrek 4/4 [16]
Ruby 1/1 [11]

...

[rossik]

LePlank, now with more gear, will carefully inspect the skeleton. He will close the door and probe the bone lad/lass with his new fork. If some spider beast is to attack, he must be ready!

Anne start to laugh with hate. "Oh Arioch, Chaos Lord. Let my hate be the guide to destroy the children of the Spider Queen" she say with clenched fists. "Scout, Envoy of Entropy!" (and she release sir Honksalot in that cells corridor).

Zeek, found of the dwarf, just do a little prayer for him, and for the ones gone by now.
He will look up, to certify that no spiders are waiting for them in that corridor

[Urson]

Arya impales one of the spiders on her staff, and heads back to the 'spider room' to compare symbols. Are there groups of symbols that match the markings on the spider? Or just random individual symbols?

Derrek moves forward to look in the cells.

Ruby moves into the hallway with the cells. Ick! Nasty dead guy!

[drpete]

Einstein and Knuckles will continue on down the hallway, to the intersection at the end, leaving the dead body for the others. Einstein taps his fingers along the bars as he goes.

Luke will join the others, but will go into the cell next to the one with the body. If they can't get the door open, he'll see if he can reach the body through the bars of the neighboring cell.

[Ardak2000]

Before following the others into the corridor, Tony alleviates Hanover of his valuables and Longsword, and Betty assumes ownership of Michel's Staff and valuables.

[Norjax]

...

Einstein and Knuckles proceed ahead to the intersection. Their means of illumination reveal a 5ft wide hallway leading 40ft to the south into a chamber or intersection at the edge of the light. A 5ft wide passage is in the western wall 15ft south of this intersection. Ahead, the corridor stops 3ft beyond the intersection at a 4ft round stone door engraved with symbols. To the north, a 5ft wide hallway stops after 22ft at a plain wooden door. The walls floor and ceiling are of plain, undecorated polygonal masonry.

Arya returns, through the secret door, to the spider room and compares the markings on the spider to the wall and floor symbols. Although not an exact match, they are clearly from the same arcane script.

LePlank approaches the closed cell door and tries to open it, but the door is secured with a crude chain and padlock.

Luke moves into the cell adjacent to the skeleton. He reaches in and grabs the foot of the human remains. He tries to pull the bones closer to the bars, but the foot crumbles and separates from the ankle and leg.

Anne releases her goose into the corridor and babbles some maniacal charm to a god of Chaos.

Zeek quietly offers words of prayer to his fallen companion.

Derrek and Ruby move forward. Derrek enters a cell and looks around for items of interest, but finds only dust, dirt and tatters of rotted cloth.

Tony and Betty enter the hallway with their comrades after acquiring equipment from the fallen.

Action Details:

Characters:

MAP 46

Actions?

Light Sources: Torch (Zeek), Torch (Anne), Torch (Knuckles), Candle (Derrek), Torch (Luke), Glowing Ball (Einstein)

Hit Points [Luck Points]

Knuckles 3/3 [0]
Einstein 1/1 [3]
Luke 1/1 [0]

Tony 2/2 [14]
Betty 4/4 [15]

Zeek 2/5 [0]
LePlank 3/3 [0]
Anne 4/4 [14]

Arya 1/4 [11]
Derrek 4/4 [16]
Ruby 1/1 [11]

...

[Urson]

Arya leaves the zombie spider remains splattered on the floor of the 'spider room,' and returns to the others.

Derrek and Ruby head toward the intersection to the East.

[drpete]

Einstein will enter the little alcove and study the door with the light from his glowy ball.

Knuckles will head north, towards that door.

Luke will go over to the chain, and stick one of his pieces of wood into space between the chain and the cell door, then twist it as far as he can, hoping to break the chain. "Who has that metal bar...?"

[Norjax]

...

Einstein moves forward to examine the 4ft diameter stone door. The door is a circular block with a spider icon carved into the center. Symbols matching script from the spider room are engraved around the perimeter. The door has lead packing hammered around its circumference between the door and the wall, which is constructed from a solid block of stone. Two recessed pockets are aligned in the vertical direction on each side of the spider image. There is evidence that stone handles once crossed perpendicular to the slots but have been chiseled away ages ago.

Knuckles moves to the north and studies the door there. This door is plain and undecorated save the metal frame around its four edges. A metal handle is set on the left side and no locking mechanism is apparent.

Luke grabs a piece of wood and tries to twist the chain and break it. The metal links begin to stretch, rust flakes off but then the wood breaks first. A metal object would probably do the job.

LePlank presses against the bars and uses his pitchfork to snag the skeleton. He is able to lodge the tines into the rib cage and he pulls the skeleton forward. The arms, legs and skull detach during the movement. When the left arm dislodges, a dull silver ring rattles from under the left hand as it drags across the floor.

Arya returns to the action as Luke tries to break the lock chain and LePlank drags the skeleton towards him.

Derrek and Ruby move forward to the east intersection.

Action Details:

Characters:

MAP 47

Actions?

Light Sources: Torch (Zeek), Torch (Anne), Torch (Knuckles), Candle (Derrek), Torch (Luke), Glowing Ball (Einstein)

Hit Points [Luck Points]

Knuckles 3/3 [0]
Einstein 1/1 [3]
Luke 1/1 [0]

Tony 2/2 [14]
Betty 4/4 [15]

Zeek 2/5 [0]
LePlank 3/3 [0]
Anne 4/4 [14]

Arya 1/4 [11]
Derrek 4/4 [16]
Ruby 1/1 [11]

...

[rossik]

Zeek borrow his metal spear to Luke, so he can finish what he have started.

LePlank will get the ring discretely and put it in his pocket.

Anne will follow Sir Honskalot and inspect the cell he have chose.

[drpete]

Luke thanks Zeek, sticks the metal sphere into the chain and twists, trying to break the chain off the door.

Einstein pokes at the recesses, and tries to find a way to pull on the door. Is there any way to get a good grip? I'm picturing trying to get a handhold in the recess, or on some other bit of ornamentation.

Knuckles pulls the door open, innocently...

[Urson]

Arya joins Einstein at the stone door, studying it. Is there a way to use her metal staff to help open it?

Derrek also goes to the stone door and immediately begins trying to pry the lead seal out. If there was ever a treasure vault, this is it!

Ruby heads to the wooden door, sword in hand.

[Norjax]

...

Zeek hands his spear to Luke who uses it to twist and break the rusted chain links. He swings open the door, giving access to the cell. He sees LePlank trying to snag the metal ring mixed in the skeletal debris.

LePlank tries to hook the ring using his pitchfork tines, but the fine motor skills required to capture the thin metal band are beyond his capabilities. (He may try next round)

Anne follows Sir Honksalot into the cell and searches through the rubbish. She finds some pieces of tattered cloth and a small pile of toe and fingernail clippings piled in a corner. The goose leaves a fresh pile of droppings in the center of the cell.

Einstein studies the recessed pockets and imagines a way to get a grip onto the door, but the creative intelligence of his namesake eludes him...

Knuckles pulls on the metal door handle and it slides open with moderate resistance to reveal a 20ft long room with a 5ft wide passage opposite the door. The room is at least 25ft wide beyond the line of sight visible from the door threshold. The room is littered with broken wooden crates and scraps of wood, all rotted and crumbling from extreme age.

Derrek uses his scissors and begins to pry and peel the lead out of the groove between the door and the stone wall frame.

Arya looks over Einstein’s and Derrek’s shoulders searching for a way to use her metal staff to open the door. As she watches Derrek remove the lead seal, she ponders using the staff as a pry bar once enough lead is removed.

Ruby joins Knuckles at the wooden door, sword in hand. She observes contents of the trash-filled room with wainwright.

Action Details:

Characters:
LePlank Agility roll; must roll an 8 or below:
LePlank AGL roll = [1d20] = 16
Luke Luck roll (as perception); must roll 16 or below:
Luke LUK roll = [1d20] = 5
Knuckles STR roll against DC 5 = [1d20+1] = 8+1 = 9

MAP 48

Actions?

Light Sources: Torch (Zeek), Torch (Anne), Torch (Knuckles), Candle (Derrek), Torch (Luke), Glowing Ball (Einstein)

Hit Points [Luck Points]

Knuckles 3/3 [0]
Einstein 1/1 [3]
Luke 1/1 [0]

Tony 2/2 [14]
Betty 4/4 [15]

Zeek 2/5 [0]
LePlank 3/3 [0]
Anne 4/4 [14]

Arya 1/4 [11]
Derrek 4/4 [16]
Ruby 1/1 [11]

...

[rossik]

Zeek takes his spear back, and give not much attention to the jester. He joins Knuckles and Ruby

Anne interpret that as a sign. She wont find sh*t here, so she joins the ones with the open door.

LePlank tries to make it to the ring. He now knows the other ones are looking, so he goes like "see, im getting this for us", say the Jester with a strange smile

[Urson]

Arya studies the door and the wall around it more closely, running he hands over the surfaces to search for carvings that may have been overlooked- or have begun to flake away.

Derrek continues 'safecracking', picking at the lead.

Ruby wrinkles her nose at the visible mess. This looks like my Auntie Pris' rooms in the manor.... She immediately looks embarrassed, as nobody is supposed to speak about Auntie Pris. She steps into the room, stirring some of the rubbish with the tip of her sword.

[rossik]

also, anne will enter the room just a few steps, close to the wall, in the left direction. Zeek will do the same, but in the right direction

[Ardak2000]

Tony joins Knuckles and Ruby investigating the Northern Passage.

Ruby pops up at Derrek's elbow with a "Whatcha doin'?", intensely interested in what might be behind a lead lined door.

[drpete]

Luke enters the cell and tries to get the ring ahead of LePlank. If he does, he'll slip it on his finger and give LePlank a big, gloating grin. Otherwise, he'll scowl a bit at LePlank for beating him to it. In any case, he'll look around the cell to see if there's anything else of interest.

Knuckles will enter the room, and move off to the right, looking to see the extent of the room, and if it contains anything of interest.

Einstein fusses with the spider icon. Is it a drawing, or something inlaid in the door? Can it move at all (be depressed, pull out, rotate?)?

Apologies for the delay. I got overwhelmed at work for a few days, but should be more free going forward.