IC VIII

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny calls for the lantern at the top of the stairs.

Does the stairway lead down to a man-made passage or to natural caverns?

Also, does the passage we are currently in continue to the north after the collapsed portion?

[thirdkingdom]

Lanny the elf

Lanny calls for the lantern at the top of the stairs.

Does the stairway lead down to a man-made passage or to natural caverns?

Also, does the passage we are currently in continue to the north after the collapsed portion?

From where the PCs stand the corridor looks manmade. And the cave-in obstructs the corridor on the current level.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

If the stairs seem to be stable, Lanny will venture down just to the bottom (remaining invisible within the light of the party's lantern) to try to determine if this area connects back to the rest of the basement to the south or if the passage just continues to the north.

[thirdkingdom]

As Lanny descends the makeshift stairs the surrounding rubble shifts and creaks ominously, but nothing is dislodged. Upon reaching the bottom it is apparent that the corridor, while not natural, is not worked in the same fashion as the rest of the basement. The corridor runs as far north as Lanny can see. It is also much more humid on this level.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny returns to the top of the stairs and informs the others of his findings.

"The corridor below does not appear to be part of the dungeons of Castle Mistamere, as the stonework is really quite different... It may be the case that human excavation expanded into kobold territory... or perhaps the reverse. Whatever the case, the humidity is much greater in the passage below, so it is possible that there is a fresh water supply nearby... upon which our survival might depend. In truth, I would like to follow this passage to see where it leads, but if there is no will to go below at this point, then I will abide by the decision of the party..."

Lanny listens to the discussions about when and where to camp for the night. He agrees that the pedestal room would be a good choice... well lit, and with many avenues for retreat.

"However, we must remember that these kobolds are likely just guards, who were placed here with limited supplies: a barrel of water, some food, and an oil lamp. Their relief will undoubtedly be coming soon with fresh supplies, and when they see the dead kobolds, we cannot anticipate their reaction. They may send their entire clan to come looking for us, or they may set all sorts of ambushes and defenses in their part of the dungeon... we simply do not know. If we want to explore this area at all, the best time to do so would be right now, while the element of surprise is still on our side..."

This is just Lanny expressing his opinions as usual. For the sake of group cohesion, I am ok with proceeding with the current plan to camp for the night in the pedestal room and then continue on with the second level after we rest, if no one wishes to explore the passage to the north at this time. (And BTW, I would also be ok with pausing and taking a little break for the holidays, if folks wish to do so.)

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

"I am with Lanny on this. I am ready for a good fight. This anticipation of a battle wears on me worse than an actual battle. I say we move forward, and hopefully we will have the element of surprise on our side."

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Party Caller: Uh oh... I didn't expect anyone to actually agree with Lanny. LOL
Well, I guess that creates a split vote. To keep things simple, I'll suggest that we consider only two options:

1. Rest now, returning to the pedestal room.
2. Rest later, continuing down the stairs to the north.

If I am reading the posts correctly, we have 3 in favor of Option #1 (Rhys, Drudsa, Tratiln) and 2 in favor of Option #2 (Lanny and Innana). We have 7 voting members, so time for everyone else to chime in!

[Finglas]

Bregalad the elf

Bregalad is somewhat unsure on how to proceed in these depths. With no clear way out, all options seem perilous.....

"The kobolds do appear to have been guarding something. But the tunnel to the north feels unsafe. We have also not fully explored the halls at this level. I, too, am for resting in the pedestal room, and then afterwards see what lies to the south and west."

[Bouv]

Tratiln agrees with resting, "Some of us are getting low on spells...and just getting exhausted. We need to set up a watch and camp for the night."

[thirdkingdom]

New IC thread here: viewtopic.php?f=70&t=2245

[frobozz]

TK, can you lock this thread so that it falls in line with the other locked threads?