Zelkor's Ferry

[archolewa]

So is everyone traveling together to the Mouth, and then you're sending the thieves down the stairs to scout, or are you sending the thieves ahead to scout the route and around the Mouth? In the latter case, are you staying at the cabin, or are you following along a couple hundred meters behind or...?

[Edeldhur]

I say we travel together up until we are about... 100 feet from the 'Mouth'? (I think you need to be at least 90' ahead of the main group, if you don't want your attempt at a stealthy approach to be ruined, right?), and then send the scouts ahead.

[Rex]

I think we should aim for being about 100 feet behind the scouts.

[Edeldhur]

I think we should aim for being about 100 feet behind the scouts.

Agreed.

[rredmond]

Good for me! This is going to be interesting

[archolewa]

The group breaks camp, and makes their way towards the mouth. When partially up the steep hill, and about 100 feet from the entrance, they come to a halt, and Randall and Anker go ahead. The two investigate the outside of the mouth a moment, and then vanish down the stairs.

They emerge a few minutes later, and return to the others.

"Well nothing killed us on the way down, so that's good," says Anker with a little bit of a chuckle. "Stairs seem to lead about 40 feet underground, into a room with six doors, each set inside an alcove. All we could really make out with our infravision. We're gonna need torches though of course. It's black as pitch in there."

[Edeldhur]

Hektor and Tulius

"I assume no noises?" - the Paladin enquired as they moved along - "Let's get going then"

[archolewa]

"Silent as the grave," says Randall with a nod.

[Edeldhur]

"Of course" - Hektor nodded with a smile.

I guess marching order will depend on the width of the tunnel.

[archolewa]

From what Hektor remembers of the stairway during investigations yesterday, it's wide enough for two abreast.

[Edeldhur]

Two abreast I am going to suggest:

When we are together

Front
Tulius and Ulfr
Hektor and Ingulfr
Martin and Randall
Iacchus and Anker

Tulius has literally double the hp of Hektor so...
Also they will probably swap weapons, so Hektor can strike from the second line

But I do think in the vast majority of situations we should send the scouts ahead for the standard stuff. Between them, they have good Move Silently, as well as Find Traps and Open Locks. We need to put those to use.
For example in this case - empty room: Hear Noise > Check first door on the left for traps > Grab the group.

[rredmond]

Martin in the middle is much appreciated!

Agreed on the scouting and trap detection when needed.

Iacchus has a decent AC and not too bad HPs, if you want to swap him with one of the guys in the back.
He can't attack with a mace even from the second rank, so he'd be better off in case someone comes up behind. If that works for you guys.

[Edeldhur]

Iacchus has a decent AC and not too bad HPs, if you want to swap him with one of the guys in the back.
He can't attack with a mace even from the second rank, so he'd be better off in case someone comes up behind. If that works for you guys.

Makes a lot of sense - updated my post above

[Rex]

Looks good.

[archolewa]

"Gonna want someone to light and carry a torch," says Randall. "It's dark down there, and Hektor can't pontificate if he can't see, now can he?"

[rredmond]

Martin

I have been relegated to that position in the past, offering the MU.

[Rex]

Ingulfr

"I can carry one as well, but will need to throw it down once we engage in combat."

[Edeldhur]

Let's roll with Martin as the torchbearer for now?

[archolewa]

Torch - 60 minutes

Martin lights a torch. The group makes its careful way down the steep, black stairs. They descend roughly forty feet, and emerge into a room containing six doors leading out. Each door is set into a 10-by-10 foot alcove in the wall. There is a door immediately in front of them, one to the left in the corner, and one to the right in the corner. The far side of the room is a mirror image. There's a door immediately behind the stairs, one to the left in the corner, and one to the right in the other corner.

Martin's torch gutters slightly, and there's a faint smell of old rot, like a graveyard. The whole place feels dim and oppressive.

"So, where do we start?" asks Randall in a low murmur.

Make sure to mark a torch off of Martin's inventory.

[Rex]

Ingulfr

"Kinda looks like a trap to me. You do something once everyone is down here and then all the doors open and we get attacked. Probably by undead with the smell down here. Or I am just overly paranoid. Pick a door at random to try and everyone else face off on another door so we are covering them all. Sound like a plan?"