Chapter 10: Secret of the Sleestaks

[SilverBen]

Maskelyn

Fire! Who has a torch?

Finver rises to his feet from where Draupadi examines him. He retrieves a torch from his backpack and lights it to follow Maskelyn's advice. "Good idea, Maskelyn. I'm willing to give it a go. If nothing happens, then I'm all for sneaking outta here as Ambrose and Sherrif Yul suggest. Lets check that rear prison cell for more exits."

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi will keep watch while the others work "Time to run for it I suppose."

[Inferno]

City of the Sleestaks, Deep Beneath the Barren Wasteland
The Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Ten. Night? April 5th, 912 CY








Several adventurers attempt to engineer a jailbreak from the guest chamber of the Sleestaks!

After failing to bend the eastern portcullis, Finver heeds Maskelyn's advice and gets a torch alight.

Yul the lawman counsels that they follow Sleestak law. He tries in vain to repair the prison bars he pried apart, as Finver and Ko-Nan move past him into the jail (room 34).

The dwarf burns away the lingering threat of the insidious spore cloud from the abomination Altrusian...




...while Ko-Nan assesses the prison's northern gate.




The barbarian peers through the rusty bars. Beyond lies a rough hewn tunnel that turns from view, with a wooden door set into one wall.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.
Everything south of 25 is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

This post covered two rounds.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 22/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 11/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31, Torch
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 25/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 20/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern on floor of prison cell
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Silence, 15' Radius (Mungo): Duration: 2 rounds

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[redwarrior]

Connak will carefully step around the area where the spores were and examine the lock on this smaller gate, to see if he can open it. attempt to pick locks Once he knows if he's successful, he'll let the rest of the group know.

Connak is still a little bit off-center by his adventures of the last day or so, and will defer to his companions. Though he thinks Yul is probably correct that we might as well stay here. Maybe the bars protect us...

[SilverBen]

@Connak While the cat-man attempts to pick the lock, Finver encourages him and holds the torch as high as his stumpy arms allow. The dwarf looks on with fascination, "Ya know what amazes me about you, Connak? It's hard enough to pick a lock with fingers, but you can do it with paws and claws!" He chortles at himself, careless that no one else may hear or be amused - even Connak.

He'll examine the visible passageway from behind the rusted bars trying to...

• Detect grade or slope in passage, upwards or downwards
• Detect sliding or shifting walls or rooms
• Detect traps involving pits, falling blocks and other stonework
• Determine approximate depth underground

@Inferno, can I perhaps role play his assessment of these for better results? Otherwise, I could simply roll for any of these? I definitely prefer role play to roll play.

During his assessment, Finver calls back to the ape-man, "Hey, Ambrose, what can ya tell us about that passageway? I mean, did anything come in or from this door - Sleestak? Rats? Spiders? Anything??"

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi will keep watch while the others do their thing.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan points at the door through the gate. "Enough talk. That's our way forward."

He will give Connak a few minutes to pick the lock before taking matters into his own hands.

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

It seems a group choice made. And time may be our only help of the Sleestak hours of mystery lasts a few more. Reluctantly he agrees to exploring further. While the others pick the lock (is the silence still in place?), he uses the straw mattress to buff out a dummy body covered by a blanket to double for Ambrose.

Is it safe from more spore eruptions to lift the Sleestak to his cot and put his head in place?

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn pitches in on the job of making dummies. He prays aloud for help from The Gray One, as this is obviously Bugs' kind of thing.

[jemmus]

The fight over, moleman Mungo yawns, smooths his fur and his leather apron, puts on his leather forge gloves and lantern pith helmet. Thinks, "I should have guessed that sleeping in a Sleestak guest chamber would be like trying to sleep in a youth hostel with no curfew. Always somebody still running around." He tests his skill at beaming his lantern light on the lock being picked from 20 feet away. He hits it and stands stock still. At this distance he can't even breath or the beam will wobble around, annoying everybody.

Sorry if I missed the answer to this question, but did the spellcasters recovery spells from the rest?

[Inferno]

City of the Sleestaks, Deep Beneath the Barren Wasteland
The Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Ten. Night? April 5th, 912 CY








As Draupadi watches the quiescent Sleestak guards to the north, Yul creates a straw effigy of Ambrose and drags the large, diseased corpse of the Altrusian-Sleestak onto a woven mat.

Maskelyn helpfully collects the severed head.



Finver examines their subterranean surroundings and surmises they might be 150 feet underground. The dwarf notes a slight rising grade in the northern tunnel beyond the prison. Then he steps back to let Connak get to work.

By the light of Mungo's lantern helm, and in the shadow of Ko-Nan's glowering impatience, the felonious feline reaches through the jail bars to pick the lock backwards and blind!



Entirely by feel, Connak expertly coaxes the crude mechanism with his picklock tools until - CLICK - the lock is quickly overcome and the door creaks open on its rusty hinges.

"Thank you!" exclaims Ambrose with sincere relief.



"I do believe you've saved my life!"


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.
Everything south of 25 is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

Sleestak lock mechanism is very simple and gives +15% to pick.
Connak: Open Lock (33): [1d100-15]=40-15=25 Success!

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 22/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 11/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 25/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 20/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

None currently

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[redwarrior]

Seeing Yul being willing to explore, Connak feels willing to do so as well. He'll follow Ambrose at a bit of a distance, doing his best to move quietly and see anything before it sees him.

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi follows along as well. She will be second from last so as to keep the nosiest at the rear.

[SilverBen]

Finver hurries back to collect his backpack before returning to Connak at the rusted door. The dwarf hums a victorious melody before concluding, "Well done, Cat-man!"

He steps past the rusted door, into the passageway beyond, and takes on a more concerned and serious demeanor. "Now let's learn why this passage seems abandoned and in such disrepair. I'll lead the way ahead and scout out our escape," Finver announces to the nearby party members, drawing his shield in one hand and his dagger in the other.

He moves with determined intent along the east wall, but not too hastily to neglect time to peek around the twists and turns. He does not foolishly rush into danger without scanning from ceiling to floor and trying to detect any movement, sounds, or detect scents.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan nods at the work at the lock. Axe in hand he moves forward with the others...

[Urson]

Maskelyn
I should learn to do that, someday... Maskelyn says as he falls into the middle of the group.

[jemmus]

Mungo also takes position in the middle of the group. He makes sure Ko-Nan isn't in front of him in the walking order. He doesn't want his lantern beam to just light up the back of the barbarian's hulking frame.

[Inferno]

City of the Sleestaks, Deep Beneath the Barren Wasteland
The Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Ten. Night? April 5th, 912 CY








The heroes escape from captivity, creeping slowly down the rough-hewn tunnel beyond the prison bars.

The crystalline witch-lights of the Sleestaks offer a soft luminescence.

All is quiet during the Hours of Mystery. The only sound is the adventurers' cautious footfalls.

The winding passage rises on a few steps and soon ends. Set into its carved rock walls are three wooden doors.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 22/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 11/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 25/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 20/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

None currently

Player Resources:

End of the World (game description)
Strange New World (maps and realms)
Memory Tapes (the story so far)
Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[redwarrior]

Connak will squirm his way forward and first listen hear noise roll and then check for traps yeah that on each. Based on what he hears and sees, he will consider next actions. can we tell where Ambrose went?

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Covers the rear of the party, much in the same way as in the Enterprise, back to a wall, looking high and low for aggressive intruders. He has his crossbow loaded ready to fire.

"The east side door may lead to rooms guarded by those taller Sleestaks in the cavern. So maybe we should go through the northwest door?"