Barrowmaze IV: Delving for Power and Glory

[redwarrior]

Isvand examines the levers and the stone they are set in with minute detail. Trying to remember all the things he was told to look for, mentally going through the checklist methodically. He comes to the conclusion that... they are levers.


FaRT Target 25 [1d100]=66

[sastaz]

Gerdal

Gerdal's intentions were to just wait one or two minutes for the doors to close. If nothing happened, which turned out to be the case, she'll just tell everybody that we should check back in about an hour, since that seemed to be the time it took for the trapdoor to reset. The purpose of trying the levers was mainly to make sure no traps were triggered.

Gerdal and Drew takes a position in the middle of the "levers room" and waits for the thieves to get back and report their findings.

[Spearmint]

While Isvand outs his delicate fingers to work inspecting the lever mechanism, concluding 'they are just levers', Sven puts some delicate sleight of hand to add coins to the Boar head piggy-bank. He finds that the porcelain boar has more than just an apple in its mouth.

Amos and Treyvor step across the threshold of the western corridor. They trigger no traps or pressure plates. Drew and Orgoth lending their weight to secure the metal door open in case a sudden swing shut occurs.

After a few minutes, not quite an hour, a turn; the metal door does begin to push back against the buttressing bodies and you gather everyone back in the room before it clangs shut once more. The levers reset to a downward position.

so moving levers 1&3 into the upright opens the western door. Not touching any more levers, the door closes after a turn and all three levers reset to down.

With some more trial and error, you find that moving 2&3 upright opens the southern door, which also resets to closed after a turn if the levers are left after being moved upwards.

You have been forty minutes testing the room.

Opening the southern door leads to a room 20'ft wide and extending 40'ft south. There are two other doors in this room, both appearing as normal crypt portals. One is directly opposite in the south wall and the second at the bottom of the western wall. The room is empty though scuff marks lead from your metal door across the room to the western door. The walls have some graffiti scrawled on, various scribblings of dire threats and differing colourful pictures from evil clown faces to voluptuous barmaids. [ /i]

actions please.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven looks up after he and Gnimish have been messing with the bank for a while.

“Hey guys. I think I figured something out about this bank! Something good!”

Finally noticing that another door has been opened, Sven speaks up.

“What did you find down that first hallway? Anything special with those doors?”

Referring to this:

Amos and Treyvor step across the threshold of the western corridor. They trigger no traps or pressure plates.

Anything interesting down that hall?

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth continues to watch and rest as much as possible.

[sastaz]

Gerdal awaits the report from the hall scouts with great interest.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors

Amos only crossed the threshold and did not go further down the western corridor. From the door you can see two other doors on opposite walls some forty feet away. The corridor continues into dark silence beyond.

Only one metal door seems able to be opened at a time and both shut after a turn if the levers are left in the upright positions. After some manipulation,

I am figuring here that because you are suspicious the doors will close behind you sealing you in that you calculate every up & down & back up configurations of the levers.

so eventually you discover that:

a) Once all levers are in down position, if you move levers 1 & 3 simultaneously up then down again, then move 2 upwards, it locks the western door open.

b) as above but moving levers 2 & 3 up and down then lever 1 up, locks open the southern door.

So with that knowledge at hand and the two portals inviting you to pass, 'choose wisely' comes to mind. Great wealth, wisdom and death lie beyond each according to Gerdal's augury, which the ten who preceded you may have found to their cost. actions please

[OGRE MAGE]

Well friends, I am a firm believer in always going in the direction it feels like the DM might be steering you. And that direction seems to be south! Please speak up if you don’t agree.

Sven sets the levers to lock the southern door in the open position.

“I don’t know why, but I say we go this way. Let’s be extra careful though, checking for traps along the way. There is more of this insane scribblings in this next room. I’d like us to get a closer look at both of those doors as well.”

Sven enters behind the scouts and checks over the graffiti walls carefully, looking for anything hidden in the chaos.

[Spearmint]

no, there is definitely no steering at all.

[OGRE MAGE]

Let’s call it a hunch then.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth moves to the south. "I can cover who ever searches for traps."

[sastaz]

SM is this about right? There's the BBJ pick and the stone coffer with smashed lid to the east, to the west my understanding of the room south of the "lever room", with scuff marks on the floor.

[Spearmint]

excellent map.

[Rex]

Agreed!

[redwarrior]

Isvand will move up to point, attempting to move as quietly as possible, on the lookout for any danger.


MS target 25 [1d100]=58
Hopefully his native halflingness is quiet enough

[sastaz]

Gerdal

"Sven, what do you make of those markings? Looks like someone dragged something really heavy in there? Perhaps we check out the scribblings and the doorway as you suggest. Let's see what Isvand makes of it. What do you see in there Isvand?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven has Smokie sniff around the room, checking near both doors to see if he can pick up any lingering scents anyone may have left behind recently.

[OGRE MAGE]

Kills/Spoils/Items of Interest

Located Spade Mound (17)
Located Baboon Mound (24)
Located Cross mound (22)
Located Burrowed Holes Mound (23)
Found the two traps on the Silas mound (one the hard way)


Treasure!
Isvand finds a playing card: Jack of Diamonds
Two sapphires
109 gold pieces, each has a small hole drilled into it
A drawstring pouch containing nine human fingers, each has a colourful ribbon tied to it.
A short sword in a scabbard. When withdrawn you see that instead of an iron blade there is a large iron key attached to the hilt.
Big John's Miners Pick
Cement Severed Hands
Black Cultist Cloaks

A pouch of 666 silver pieces. There is a note in the pouch that cautions the owner not to spend the coins but to cast them, spread across a floor in order to act as some special caltrops that would hinder a werewolf or other silver vulnerable creatures from crossing. Carried by Isvand

A porcelain skull in the shape of a boar's head. The apple in its mouth has a slot in it and the head rattles indicating coins inside. "Feed me" is written on the side. Contained: 49sp, 21gp, 1pp Carried by Orgoth

A whittled piece of wood in the shape of a dwarf holding a drum. Underneath is written, "Drums in the Deep" Gnomes

Several carapaces and claws belonging to crabs or crustaceans. They have been burned and are charred around the edges. Drew

An oak cudgel, like a sailors belaying pin or short baseball bat. Carried by Orgoth

A potion bottle, an unknown elixir none of you are familiar with. The flask is well sealed with a waxed cork. Potion of Diminution? Carried by Sven


Monsters Killed/Vanquished
Evaded a Rust Monster
7 Mineral Encrusted Fossilized Skeletons (Sven killed 2 on his own)
1 Haunt (Big John)
Avoided Crypt Tavern Guardian (III)

notes on Amos & Truro

Amos
He is a C2 / T1 ,
AC 6, Studded leather, Dex +1AC
HP 13,
(Dex 15, Wis 15).
4 x daily 1st level spells plus Read Magic. As a cleric of Arcantryl, he has learned the Mage spell Shield. He may cast any 'touch' based spell via a melee attack/weapon as part of Arcantryl domain benefits.
He carries a scroll of Protection from Evil and two vials of Holy Water. He bears a long Quarterstaff and a mace. He also has a set of Thieves Tools.
Current spell loadout: CLW, CLW, Shield, Bless, Read Magic.

Truro, young itinerant evangelist hiring himself out via the Mercenary Guild.
Cleric of St Ygg's. Accompanying Sven's Barrowmaze IV expedition.
C1,
AC 5 chainmail,
hp 5,
Q-staff, mace.
Has +2 x 1st level (& +1 x 2nd level when advanced) Wisdom bonus spells, plus one for level plus domain spell of Light, that he may cast daily.
Usually loaded out with 2 x CLW'S, Light, Remove Fear.
Str 10, Int 10, Wis 15, Dex 11, Con 12, Cha 9

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors

The room is empty though scuff marks lead from your metal door across the room to the western door. The walls have some graffiti scrawled on, various scribblings of dire threats and differing colourful pictures from evil clown faces to voluptuous barmaids.

The group drift into the room, investigating drag marks and scribbles. None of the graffiti strikes you as an important message or signal, much is similarly copied on the walls of many tavern latrines and bridge arches. Smokie turns his nose up at the sniffing. Nothing fresh comes to mind. Isvand goes to the western door. It opens freely into a passage that continues west at least another forty feet before turning south. It is dark and fetid beyond.

Amos tippy-tappies his way in to the room and follows Orgoth to the southern door, halting him with an alert that a trigger or pressure plate lies in front of that door and warns you not to take another step. After a brief investigation, the gnome Treyvor locates a deadfall rather than a pit trap and chalks the square so you know where and where not to stand.

Amos F/R traps vs 20%, Treyvor F/R traps vs 35% [1d100]=50 [1d100]=12

You can open the southern door if you can reach over the pressure plate, which seems a simple task for the Unseen Servant.

actions please

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Thanks Amos." He waits and keeps watch.