IC VIII

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Wonders if the log contraption they found in the first floor was set up to break through a wall, and that maybe since they never found any hole in the wall in the room that had the contraption at the time, that maybe with the shifts in the walls from the crystal, that there may be a passageway now.

Innana talks to Lanny, "If this passageway does not lead us to an exit, perhaps we can try the upper floors since the walls may have shifted there as well."

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny chuckles at Innana's comment.

"Ah, but if we had the ability to check those upper floors, then we wouldn't really be trapped down here in the basement, now would we?"

The elf smiles good-naturedly and winks.

"However, you bring up a good point. The log that was in the room on the first floor, which was to the north of our present location, was suspended by a rope which ran through brackets in the ceiling before descending straight down through a small hole in the floor, presumably to a room on the basement level. So, at least in theory, there should be a room to the north of this door where we would find the end of that rope. However, maybe the passage was sealed off at some point in the past... Or, as you suggest, perhaps the blank wall we see before us is the result of the walls shifting a moment ago... Whatever the case, it seems to be impassible, at least for the moment..."

Lanny glances around at the others, a look of concern showing on his face.

"I suppose we can try a room-by-room search of the rest of the basement level, although I would prefer to start with rooms closer to the center of the basement and avoid straying too far from the area below the castle proper. If there is a reverse mechanism to be found, I would think it would likely be closer to the center of the basement.

Lanny currently has his sights set on the room directly to the north of the pedestal room, but he is always open to other suggestions (and he always welcomes other suggestions!)

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

[Alethan]

One room is as good as the next at this point.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Innana stops for a moment, and looks puzzled. "Somehow I missed the fact we were trapped on this floor. I thought perhaps there would be new passages created with the new layout." Innana shrugs, and moves on, "perhaps it is my optimism on overdrive that creates these thoughts."

[thirdkingdom]

In examining the floor, Rhys spots a flagstone that is slightly lighter than the others. The mortar in the joint around the stone has been removed. It is likely the stone is a trigger of sorts, but for what the mystic knows not.

[Innana]

Innana the fighter:

Innana bends forward to look at the brick. "Well, it is probably a lever that will change things up again. You all want to trigger this lever right now?"

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

"Well spotted, Rhys! Yes indeed, let us find out what this flagstone conceals, or what it triggers... I don't think our situation could get any worse, could it?"

Unless there are any objections, if the flagstone can be lifted out of the ground, Lanny will try that first, to see if anything is resting underneath it. If not, Lanny will step onto the flagstone and try to apply his weight to it to press it deeper into the ground.

[thirdkingdom]

Lanny steps on the flagstone. There is a slight hiss as it depresses a half-inch, then the section of wall with the false door slides inward, revealing a narrow passageway leading north thirty feet before opening into a larger room.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys watches Lanny's foot activate the mechanism, then grins, quite pleased with himself.

Then he notes the fresh blood on Lanny's boot from the last secret passage and holds up a staying hand. Asking for the light to be brought closer, he begins checking the passage for traps as he slowly moves down it, keeping an eye on ceiling and walls, as well as the floor.

[Bouv]

Tratiln, just wondering out loud, "I hate to think what would happen if one built a place like this and then forgot about all the traps and secrets..."

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny cautiously enters the passage behind Rhys, carefully examining the flagstones on the floor just on the other side of the door.

"It might be best if at least one person stayed behind in the statue room for a moment while we explore ahead... just in case we mistakenly step on another flagstone which closes the door behind us. Once we arrive at the chamber ahead of us, and determine whether it is a single chamber or a entrance to multiple passages, we can then determine how best to proceed."

Once Rhys has checked the illuminated 30 feet of corridor for traps, Lanny will move up to the edge of the light and peer into the darkness at the opening of the chamber with his infravision. If he sees no obvious threats, he will call for light to be brought forward to the opening of the chamber.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:


"I can stay back, and watch from the rear".

[thirdkingdom]

Please excuse the absence. Holidays and stuff.

The corridor opens into a room that measures twenty feet to a side. There is no visible exit from the room. The room is furnished in a spartan manner; a simple cot is pushed against the northern wall, a wooden chest at its foot. The western wall has a wooden rack from which several weapons hang: two long swords, a mace and an axe, all of which seem to have seen good use. There is a simple wooden table against the eastern wall. On the table sits a bowl made of beaten silver, perhaps sixteen inches in diameter. A silver ewer half-filled with some liquid stands next to the bowl. Strange glyphs are etched into the rim of the bowl.

[Alethan]

Rhys the Traveler

Rhys quickly appraises the room and says, "Check the hanging weapons and the silver with the rowan shield. I'll check the chest."

He moves to the chest and examines it for traps. Even if he finds none, he will stand to the side and make sure nobody is in front of it when he opens it.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Lanny looks around the room.

"Perhaps this was originally designed to be a secret hideaway of sorts for the royal family... Yet I wonder if the simple furnishings in this room indicate a much more recent use... They hardly seem fit for a king..."

Lanny looks in and under the cot, and also in what he believes to be the washbasin, for any signs of recent use. He pauses in thought for a moment.

"I wonder how anyone who sleeps in here with the door closed would be able to get out. The trigger to open up the passage is on the other side of the sliding door..."

[Bouv]

Tratiln will, without touching, examine the runes to see if he can figure out what they mean. "I wonder if this was more of a cell and not so much a room?"

Intelligence 17, 1d20+1

[thirdkingdom]

Rhys examines the chest but finds no traps. He opens in gingerly, and finds that it contains several changes of clothing. The strange fabric, esoteric styling and unusual cut of the garments suggest they were made for a humanoid that is neither elf nor human nor dwarf.

Lanny retraces his steps and determines that there is a trigger on the wall just inside the secret door. It is likely that this trigger is used to close and open the section of wall, although he will not know that for sure until he tries it.

Bouv examines the silver bowl. He is perspicacious enough to determine that the glyphs are in the strange, almost unpronounceable Draconic tongue, but is unable to comprehend their meaning.

[Innana]

Innana the Fighter:

Peers into the passageway that her friends disappeared into. She can her some muffled sounds and some movement. Innana uses her quiet yell, "Everything check out alright?"

[zebediah]

Bouv examines the silver bowl. He is perspicacious enough to determine that the glyphs are in the strange, almost unpronounceable Draconic tongue, but is unable to comprehend their meaning.

Drudsa the dabbler

Drudsa will look at the glyphs with Bouv.

Drudsa has Draconic amongs his known languages.

[frobozz]

Lanny the elf

Seeing the contents of the chest, Lanny tries to put the pieces together.

"I would guess that these clothes, and these weapons too, belonged to the hobgoblin... He is the only humanoid that we know for certain was inside this castle, other than the duergar... Perhaps this is where he slept each night, while the gnolls he was training in battle tactics slept outside in the courtyard... Rhys, be sure to go through that chest thoroughly... If the chest belonged to the hobgoblin, then perhaps there is some written correspondence from the one that hired him to be here..."

Lanny walks back to the door where Innana is standing and tells her of the party's dicoveries. In carefully examining the floors and walls by the door, he notes another trigger set in the wall.

"This will probably make the wall slide shut again... or then again it might have some other effect. I would like to test it, but not until we are finished here and everyone is safely out of the room, save for our mystic with the lightning reflexes, who can press the trigger, dart through the door before it closes again, and read a few scholarly scrolls all in the blink of an eye..."

I assume that the wall slides open and closed at a slow enough speed to allow this to be done relatively easily.