2. The First Delve

[Starbeard]

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 9)



"I can live with a percentage. We don't know what quality granola they can get us yet, anyway," shouts Fancy Francine from within the food shack.

"Alright, 10% and you have yourselves a deal," says Jocular Joey. He scrawls out a trade agreement for ten percent and hands it to the party. "Go take that to your captain. If'n he's happy to sign, just tear off the lower half and bring it back here and we'll do business." The proprietors go back to fixing up more food for any other wandering monsters who might drop by.

Digsby looks about for Garrick, but doesn't see him. Hopefully he didn't fall into the cosmic well!

The party's casual search for Garrick confirms that no one has been jotting down their travels on a map. The chamber they are in has only two exits: the western secret door through which they came, and a corridor leading east, forty feet to a four-way intersection at the edge of the lantern light.


Actions?



Light sources: Digsby's lantern, Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty), Biddle's torch (all burning 2 turns, but snuffed out for now as this room is well lit)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 11/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10

[Rusty Tincanne]

Doughty sits patiently, waiting for someone to map our path so far. He discusses the spices more.

[ClockworkPoltergeist]

"I can work with ten percent, certainly. We'll return your offer to the ship's captain as soon as we're able."

Digsby looks around and, not seeing anyone else with supplies to hand, finishes off his rats and beer, wipes his hands clean and pulls parchment and charcoal out of his satchel. The halfling closes his eyes for a moment, visualizing the parties path from their entry into the tunnels. Once the images and relative dimensions are clear in his mind, the gardener begins laying out their path through the tunnels, much like he would layout a new garden, burrow or fortification.

[coffee]

"How do you currently get your supplies?" Weeba asks the proprietors. "I mean specifically, what route do your suppliers take to get things to you? Do they come in the way we did?" He indicates the map in progress. "Or is there another route?"

[Khaboom]

Biddle snaps to attention at this - he wants to understand the logistics.

[Starbeard]

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 10)



When Weeba asks for details on how they get their stock, the three adventurer-proprietors clam up shut. "Er, well… that's a trade secret, you see. But we do occasionally get the odd shipment in through the front door, so to speak—the postman drops it off at the house above and we give pick it up from there—but we've mostly stopped that method, ever since that blasted troll ate the house owners and started stealing our shipments. We were even going to branch out and start another location down on a lower level in this dungeon, but the troll nabbed our franchise starter kit! Talk about money down the drain."

At the cooking station, Doughty continues to nose around the pantry and cooking equipment. Fancy Francine, in one of her rare good moods, tosses the diminutive culinarian a couple of tiny jars of local spices. "Don't use them all up in one go," she says.

Digsby begins to mark out the party's current situation (see mapping thread for a head start).

Actions?



Light sources: Digsby's lantern, Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty), Biddle's torch (all burning 3 turns, but snuffed out for now as this room is well lit)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 12/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10

[coffee]

"I understand, sorry," Weeba says. "Didn't mean to pry."

He turns to his comrades.

"Shall we explore out to the east, then? Or back the way we came?"

[Khaboom]

"I feel that east is where our sun will rise. A sudden oriental mood has come over me. It may well be the cuisine but I'm inclined to follow my gut anyway." Biddle burps without discomfort.

[Starbeard]

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 11)



Making the appropriate goodbyes and promises to meet again, you rekindle your light sources and leave to the east.

Very quickly the party arrives at a four way intersection: the north-south corridor is about twice as wide as the east-west corridor, giving it the appearance of a main thoroughfare. To the south a door can be seen flickering in and out of the shadows. To the east and north, nothing but darkness and the returning echoes of your own footsteps.


Actions?



Light sources: Digsby's lantern, Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty), Biddle's torch (all burning 3 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 12/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10

[sirravd]

Spindlethrash suggests they wait a bit, and see if anyone passes through the wide corridor.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Doughty agrees to give it 10 minutes but reminds his companions that most of the creatures they have passed so far have been rather aggressive towards us. We might rather avoid many things down here.

[coffee]

"Are you expecting someone?" Weeba asks. But he'll wait the ten minutes.

[ClockworkPoltergeist]

Digsby rolls up the map and tucks it away, nods to the friendly proprietors and follows the others as they head down the eastern passage. Hearing the others conversation Digsby peeks around the corner and notices the door to the south. "If no one comes along, why don't we take a look at that door just over there," he says, pointing to the doorway partially revealed by their lights. "Hmm... it occurs to me that if anyone does come along we've announced our presence with our torches. I'm going to sneak over the other side of the corridor and hang out in the shadows just in case someone actually does come along." With that, the shoveller blows out his candle lantern and, as quietly as possible, trots acros the corridor to take up residence in the shadows of the corridor opposite his companions.

[Starbeard]

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 12)

(Sorry for the constant delays! Hopefully now that school's mostly out things will be getting back on track)



The party reduces their lighting and sets up post at the intersection of corridors in this inexplicable dungeon. Ten minutes pass and no strangers come by.

Satisfied that no one is coming this way, Doughty hops over to the southern door and investigates it. Seeing nothing obviously dangerous in doing so, he pulls the door open and spies the large pentagonal foyer at the beginning of the dungeon. Against the far wall they can make out the stairs, and the smell of smoke and burnt trash comes from the door against the right wall next to them.


(you are peering through the door shown in the far back of the room)



Actions?



Light sources: Digsby's lantern & Biddle's torch (burning 4 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burned 3 turns, currently out)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 12/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10

[coffee]

"Let's check the passage to the East, then," Weeba says.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Doughty nods in agreement. Better'n sitting still. Or trying that trap door again.

[ClockworkPoltergeist]

As the others make their way to the hallway Digsby was standing watch within, the gardener applies flint to steel, relights his candle lantern and holds it aloft to illuminate the shadows further in.

[coffee]

Now that we have light, Weeba proceeds down the passage to the east. He has his sword drawn.

[Starbeard]

Day 1, Afternoon (turn 12.1)



The party wanders down the eastern passage, coming to a door on the left after forty feet, then coming to a left turn after another forty feet. You hear nothing behind the door after a quick listen.

Around the corner you can hear something, though—walking that way and rounding the bend you see another door on the left wall, maybe 20 feet ahead, and another four-way intersection twenty or thirty feet after that. Nothing can be heard behind that door either.

You can still hear it though, an irregular grinding sound accompanied by a muffled voice and the occasional knocking about of furniture, coming from behind the dungeon walls somewhere.


Actions?



Light sources: Digsby's lantern & Biddle's torch (burning 4 turns), Weeba's lantern (held by Doughty, burned 3 turns)

Biddle Spratt, Hypnotist Extraordinaire (Wiz, ST 12/12 LK 14 DEX 10 — Adds: +2/+2) CON: 11/11
Digsby Mudfoot, Halfling Gardener (War, ST 7 LK 12 DEX 15 — Adds: +1/+4) CON: 20/20
Doughty Doughball, Halfling Cook (Rog, ST 5 LK 7 DEX 15 — Adds: -3/+0) CON: 8/16
Garrick the Fortunate, Elven Archaeologist (Wiz, ST 7 LK 17 DEX 12 — Adds: +3/+3) CON: 9/9
Spindlethrash, Halfling Ne'er-do-well (War, ST 5 LK 13 DEX 18 — Adds: +3/+9) CON: 32/32
Weeba Zortz, Warrior in Triplet (War, ST 13 LK 10 DEX 17 — Adds: +6/+11) CON: 10/10

[coffee]

Weeba motions for the light to stay back, then cautiously moves toward the intersection listening intently. Is the sound coming from the intersection, or from somewhere else?