Into The Long Wet Darkness

[Rex]

Drest

"It seems worth trying."

[shaidar]

Xenos

"That would buy us some time, but it's only taken a few minutes for the room to fill."

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus "Yes. Let's see. We can allways pull it back again if nothing happens and leave this place. Maybe wishful thinking, but I imagine at the other side of the passage the floor is slanted and goes up..." Since everyone agrees, Akhilleus pulls the lever back.

"By the way... Sorry Drest. That's a horrible way to die."

[Rex]

Drest

"Dead is dead, they are all horrible ways."

[OGRE MAGE]

Attrition Delayed

Noticing the ghost of Drest simply floating directly into the sloped passage gives Xenos a moment of pause. Wisely deducing that the tunnel could fill with water quite quickly, the Warlock suggests a different approach.

Already ankle deep in the rising water, his remaining living companions both agree that this seems like another cunningly designed death trap to them. Running out of time and options, Akhilleus grabs ahold of the lever and yanks it back into its original position. After a few moments pass, they start to see the water slowly receding again, however, the open passage into the dark tunnel in front of them remains in place.

As the water runs back off the decorative tiles, Xenos sees one of the big blue bubbles in the mosaic pattern slowly sink into the ground, revealing a hidden spiral staircase that also leads down into darkness. Water from the now wet floor trickles over the edges of the newly formed circular opening in the floor, causing loud plopping noises to rise up from below.

Taking a second to search the remainder of the chamber, the group doesn't find any other options of egress from this area other than the tunnel or the stairway down, both options leading into total darkness. As if the idea of death traps around every corner wasn't bad enough, the trio find it difficult to comprehend how they are somehow still able to communicate with their friends after they seem to have passed from this life.

Actions?

positions:
Akhilleus AC:4 11/22
Xenos AC:5 6/12 2/2
Euripides AC:5 9/10 2/2
Drest?

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus will try to light a torch. "I suggest that we check the second opening first. Something tells me it wasn't meant to be found. They would expect us to just get out of here through the first one."

[shaidar]

Xenos nods

"The obvious exit is the stairwell, as it was the less obvious. However, knowing this place we should check both, but let's start with the stairs."

[Rex]

Drest

Drest will lead the way down the stairs. Trying as best he can in his current form to search for traps.

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

If Akhilleus is able to get the torch lit, Euripides will follow Drest down the stairway.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Tube

Akhilleus pulls out a soaking wet torch, blotting it with anything dry he can find. It takes a good long while to get a spark from his flint to ignite the oil soaked wrappings, but the fighter eventually gets a sputtering, barely lit torch going.

With nothing left to lose, ghostly Drest takes the lead position again, looking around for secret doors or traps as he descends the dark stairs, of which he sees none.

It is agreed that they should probably check both passages, just in case, but the group consensus is to take the hollow tube stairway downward instead of the sloping tunnel downward. With spitting firebrand in hand, the group follows Drest's glow down the circular stairway that winds down the inside wall of the deep tube. As they descend the steps, at least none of them feel loose or trapped, ready to spill them to their doom.

After dropping about 100 feet into the dark tube, the source of the plopping drips from above is discerned. At the feet of the ghostly scout, a layer of water is discovered. This water looks weird however, and doesn't act exactly as most other water does. It has a strange sheen that ripples in your torchlight, and the whole area gives off a strange smell of something you cant put your finger on. Tapping the layer of water with a boot or sword makes a rubbery rippling effect across its surface.

The steps still curl around the tube, as if they continue on normally under the surface of the weird liquid, but you don't actually see anything through the dark rubbery water. Probing around with sword or staff reveals a hard surface below that should be the next solid step, and then the next.

Actions?

positions:
Akhilleus AC:4 11/22 (Torch)
Xenos AC:5 6/12 2/2
Euripides AC:5 9/10 2/2
Drest?

[Rex]

Drest

"Do you think that stuff will burn?"

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"I don't think so... This torch is sparking all the time and nothing has happened so far... But, to be honest, I don't think we've anything to do here. I'm definitely not going down there." He tries touching the liquid with his bare pinky finger.

[shaidar]

Xenos watches with interest as Akhilleus touches the odd liquid.

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

Euripides watches to see what, if anything, happens to Akhilleus.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Tube

When nobody else makes a move to figure out their current situation, Akhilleus leans down and sticks his little finger into the rubbery water.

When he pulls it back out again, he feels a wet, filmy residue on his digit, as if he had just stuck his finger into some weird rubbery water.

Actions?

positions:
Akhilleus AC:4 11/22 (Torch)
Xenos AC:5 6/12 2/2
Euripides AC:5 9/10 2/2
Drest?

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus rubs his pinky against the wall, trying to clean it as best he can. "I don't think there's anything for us here. We're missing again a long thing, like a spear, with which we could prod. I think we should go upstairs and try the opening at the end of the chamber." He says standing up.

[Rex]

Drest

"I will try."
Drest will see if the rubbery substance prevents him from passing through. If it doesn't can he see anything on the other side?

[Scott308]

Euripides Nereos

Euripides will follow after Drest if nothing seems harmful.

[shaidar]

Xenos waits to see the effects the strange water has on the others.

"I wonder if it's just to stop the water from the previous room moving past this point?"

[OGRE MAGE]

The Tube

Akhilleus cleans the sticky residue off his finger on the stone wall, the weird smell not really getting better. He suggests they climb back up and check the first sloping passage they found.

The ghostly figure of Drest tries to float through the moist membrane, passing through the wetness easily. When he doesn't return, Euripides follows suit, squeezing his way through the rubbery water with a bit more difficulty, as if it meant to somehow hold him back. Xenos suggests this may be some kind of thick seal to prevent falling water from above filling whatever is below, which seems to be the most likely explanation voiced so far.

Once the Purloiner sinks into the dense film, he finds that it isn't very thick at all, only about two feet from top to bottom, yet it fills up the entire circular area of the tube. He sees long metallic rods at the bottom of the seal that penetrate through the sides of the stone walls. These rods appear to be holding the entire mass of rubbery water in place where it is.

The steps leading downward along the tube walls continue into more intense darkness, though no sound emanates from below.

Anyone deciding to follow the steps down can read this next bit as well. (I will assume you have some kind of light source with you)

At the bottom of the steps, another 50 feet or so below, the stone tube ends abruptly at a flat stone floor. There is a single metal door at the base of the steps, though instead of a normal handle, it has an iron wheel mounted directly in its center and a strange rubbery seal all along the outer edge where it contacts the stone frame.

On the opposite side of the tube from the door, there is a single up-and-down lever sticking out of the wall that is currently in the UP position.

Actions?

positions:
Akhilleus AC:4 11/22 (Torch)
Xenos AC:5 6/12 2/2
Euripides AC:5 9/10 2/2
Drest?