[Completed] - Lars/Finger of Doom - 19 March, 1 VC

[Keehnelf]

Given how slippery the terrain is, is is only reasonably safe to have only one person lower Orrin if he is being lowered without his pack and probably with just a single large weapon and/or shield.

[Zorroroaster]

In for a penny, in for a pound...

Orrin will only take his axe and shield, strapping the shield to his forearm and holding the rope with that hand. Once down at the bottom, if it checks out safe enough, Lug can lower down a sack if there's anything of value to be brought up.

[Keehnelf]

March 24, 1 VC - 9:20am

The group returns to the cave, leaving Lars comatose and defenseless just inside the entrance as they delve deeper into the treacherous and winding depths. Lug finds no sign of secret doors along the way--the cave all seems naturally-formed and something like a secret door would need to be masterfully constructed to be effective here.

The group returns to the chute, which remains clear, and the group prepares to lower Orrin.

Someone needs to deduct a torch for light, and Naila will need to be the one holding it given how things are set up.

Orrin descends beyond the immediate range of torchlight to employ his infravision, and finds it hard to determine much of anything about what lies beyond the bottom of the chute. The water is marginally warmer than the stone surrounding it, so Orrin can get the impression of a large chamber, about half of which is dominated by the pooling water as it descends from above. There is a lip of rock close by that he could pull himself with to reach dry stone in the chamber, but as he thinks about taking that next step he remembers that spiders are cold-blooded and would be extremely difficult to spot in these conditions, especially against the stone and moving quickly.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin tries to make out any movement around him, and listens carefully as well against the backdrop of rushing water to see if he can hear anything.

How close is he to the bottom?

Once he gets close to the level of the water, he will lean over and use his axe to see how deep it is before being lowered any further. If its shallow enough, and not moving so fast as to cause him to lose footing, he'll lower all the way down into the water.

Once safely down, if he's still unchallenged by anything, he'll have Lug lower down a sack with a torch and flint/steel in it.

[Keehnelf]

Orrin knows with absolute certainty that he would never hear a spider under these circumstances, with the flowing water so close about him. He tests the end of the pool at the bottom of the chute and finds the water perhaps eighteen inches deep, the stone there covered in a loose layer of copper and silver coins.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin reaches the bottom of the chute and stands in the water, giving the end of the rope a tug after untying himself.

"There's coin down here, Lug. Send down a sack with a torch and something to light it with and we'll see if there's anything else worth taking with us."

[Keehnelf]

March 24, 1 VC - 9:30am

Orrin receives the sack and slings his axe, lighting the torch and tossing the flint and steel into the bottom of the sack. I'll assume he has the sack in his shield hand and the torch in his dominant hand.

This arrangement will make it difficult to move coins into the sack--his best bet is to step through the opening on to drier stone, lay the sack down there and bring the coins he dredges out of the water back to put in the sack. Even better would be someone else to hold a light source and/or keep guard.

Orrin looks quickly with the torch through the opening into the larger area and sees that it spreads further than the torchlight does, gradually widening away to either side with the ground generally sloped downward to the right. Thus, the left side of the chamber appears to be mostly above water while the right side forms into a large pool at least twenty feet across of unknown depth. The gathered water here strongly shimmers with a faintly lavender sheen.

[Zorroroaster]

"Lug, see if Naila will come down the rope. I could use a hand down here, and her sleep spell will come in handy if I meet any more creepy crawlies."

Orrin will put the sack down on dry ground and begin scooping coins out of the water, but will wait until Naila joins him before venturing further into the cave.

[Keehnelf]

The dry stone is n the chamber, so there's no choice but to advance a bit if you want to put the sack down there.

[GTan_Baq]

Naila goes down the rope and takes up the torch. "Orrin, how much coin do you think is here? I don't like being down here. Scoop up the coins quick so we can get back to Lars; someone should be with him."

[Keehnelf]

March 24, 1 VC - 9:40am

Orrin sets to work pulling handfuls of mixed coins out of the water and tossing them as quickly as possible into the sack. As the coins pile up, the sound of the new coins being added to the container grows until Naila is nervous that the sound is carrying. Peering through the opening into the chamber beyond, she spots two more spiders perched warily at the edge of the torchlight, right along the water's edge.

Orrin can hear her sharp intake of breath even over his own beating heart and looks up. However, where Naila sees only the danger of a pair of spiders, Orrin also sees the unmistakeable glittering of at least two or three gemstones lying near the water's edge among the spiders.

[GTan_Baq]

Naila casts sleep on the spiders ....
sleep [2d8] = 7

[Keehnelf]

Spider saves [2d20s16] = 0

Both of the spiders curl up and settle down against the ground.

[GTan_Baq]

Naila puts her dagger to each spider then looks around behind them to see if there are more but doesn't venture away from Orrin....

[Zorroroaster]

"We're getting pretty good at killing bugs."

After retrieving the gems and coins, Orrin would like to investigate the pool as well, to have a look at whatever is causing the colourful glow.

i know, I'm pushing my luck, but we are so close!

[Keehnelf]

The spiders are twenty feet or so away from your current position, well within the chamber. Will she be going into the room to kill them, or waiting for Orrin and the two of them entering together?

[Zorroroaster]

I think we should cautiously advance together.

[Keehnelf]

Will you gather more coins first, or proceed as soon as the spell has taken effect?

[Zorroroaster]

While the spiders might remain asleep for a good while, perhaps it's better to go and deal with them immediately? What do you say, Naila?

[GTan_Baq]

Deal with the spiders now, Naila hates spiders and doesn't want these to wake. We can look around after Orrin finishes fishing up coins but I'd rather get back to Lars ASAP. He is vulnerable without us.