3) The Return to the Not Exactly Haunted House

[Mant72]

Keilif:

"The remains of Alec must be tended to. His flesh cannot be left to be picked apart by carrion birds. I know the dwarven folk are descendants of stone, and I have heard their fallen are laid to rest in an earthly embrace. I will build a cairn beside the sea of rock and sand. This will have to suffice."

Keilif returns to the boat and proceeds to to bury his fallen companion.

[hedgeknight]

Burly, the Bedraggled Baker

It's early in the day and Burly is already wore down. Perhaps it's because of his wounds, or the fact he and his companions are in some smugglers hold, but whatever the reason, he's tired and could use a hot bath and a long rest.

He hollers at Keilif > "Drag him up in the cave here for safe keeping until we check out the western tunnel. Won't nothing bother him while we are searching. Then we can take him and the body of Sanbalet, and whatever other grisly...erm...treasures back to the council. Anybody else got a thought on this?"

[wolfpack]

Jervis will grab his sword and shield.

I cannot see but my arm is still strong. Someone will have to direct me in battle.

[coil23]

Doubtful

We could turn the smuggler's boat over to cover the body to keep the birds away while we search the tunnel. That would save time and still get the job done. And, Umrick- you are the one who has been here before. Do you want to take lead in case you recognize something else? Any advantage could help us in our current state. Shall we search the western tunnel now?

[ravenn4544]

Ben suggests "Did someone say there was probably someone wearing plate mail wandering around down here? That sounds like another tough customer if we run into him! Do we have something we can hit any unfriendlies with from a distance? Like fire?"

[OGRE MAGE]

This is what Umrick told you all so far. I will interject in red with some DM's notes.

Umrick Histix, Gnome Fighter

When they captured me, they brought me through the kitchen and down a flight of stairs, you should remember the stairs down at the back of the house to a wine cellar where the body of your friend in plate mail was on the floor. you know that nobody in your group was ever wearing plate We went through a hidden door into a long room with a lot of beds. you should certainly remember this room as well From there, there was another hidden door in the corner Ben? that led to a stairway down to the caves. They led me down a slippery corridor to...this room, I'm pretty sure. That looks like the table they questioned me at. I saw 8 men, but there could be more, I don't know. I also smelled something nasty, which I now know was gnoll. the gnoll smell is bad but is not nearly as bad as the smell now coming from the western tunel I never saw any of the dogmen, so I have no idea how many there are...were. When they finally believed I did not know the people that had robbed them, they smacked me in the head. When I woke up, I was in the cage where you eventually found me.

[OGRE MAGE]

Doubtful and the extremely concerned Keilif do what they can to prevent their friends body from being molested before it can be dealt with properly. Burly also helps, offering his opinion on the matter.

Jervis is still unable to see anything but, it doesn’t really hinder his enthusiasm for more action too much. He claims that he is fine to continue fighting the demons as long as someone tells him where to swing. Ben warns about the possibility of heavily armored opponents.

Doubtful suggests that Umrick should lead the way through the rest of the complex due to him being the only one who is even slightly familiar with their current surroundings.

[Scott308]

Umrick Histix, Gnome Slayer of Gnolls

The gnome loads his crossbow. Yup. I can take point. Anything I see will catch a bolt before I try severing its head. But Ben, the person in plate was a corpse partially eaten by rot grubs. I assumed he was one of your group. I take it he was not, then?

When the others are ready, Umrick will lead the way into the Western tunnel.

[coil23]

Doubtful

The more I think of running into something even worse than what we've met so far the more concerned I am about a fast retreat. How about we load our companions' bodies into the boat and have it right at shore ready to go with a quick shove-off. I can refresh the fire line closer to the beach that we can light to but us time to start rowing. What say you? This will just take a few minutes and then we can start down the western tunnel.

[Scott308]

Umrick Histix, Gnome

That should be okay, as long as it does not take very long. I am glad that the person in plate mail was not a member of your party. However, that does bring up a different complication. The smugglers were definitely not treating him as if he was one of their group. So, who was he, and where did he come from? Is it possible we may encounter others looking to find a lost friend?

Umrick will continue watching the corridor, crossbow ready, while Doubtful makes ready for a quick retreat if it should become necessary.

[hedgeknight]

Burly, the Bored Baker

Ready to get this show on the road, Burly waits with Umrick while the others decide how best to disguise, hide, cover, preserve, etc. the bodies. "Maybe I missed it, but what did you do before you ended up in a cage? Where is your homeland?"

[coil23]

Doubtful

Doubtful hurries to help get their companions' bodies into the boat with the vessel ready to shove off quickly. He makes sure the fire line (closest to the cave mouth) is ready to fire and places a lit lantern near it (not too close!) closer to the cave mouth. With these preparations done, he joins the others so that they may venture down the western cave tunnel.

[ravenn4544]

Ben offers to remain with the boat and to sound an alarm if trouble arises.

[Mant72]

Keilif:

Keilif assists Doubtful with his preparations and returns to the others so that the exploration may continue.

[OGRE MAGE]

The groups indecisive leader somehow convinces a few mates to go back outside again and retrieve the dwarfs body from under the disabled boat, in order to place it in the groups boat, leaving it once again........out in the open. Ben tires of the continuous idea carousel and decides to stay with the boat as a lookout. Jonas stays as well to keep him company. The druid spends a while refreshing his fire line.

Umrick mentions that the body in plate armor was infested with one of the most terrible borrowing worms known to mankind, able to kill almost instantly. Nobody even bats an eyelash. He mentions that he is glad that the man was not a friend of the groups, but then he contemplates the idea that there may also be someone else who might be searching for the dead man.

The brave gnome loads his crossbow and takes point. He begins searching down the western tunnel with the completely blind Jervis directly behind him. After moving in about ten feet, you all hear the telltale clicking noise of a tripwire trap being sprung.


I need a 5d6 Dex check from Umrick, Jervis, and Keilif in your next posts please.

[Scott308]

Umrick Histix, Gnome Warrior

Well, I didn't really fit in with the gnomes, so I eventually moved into a dwarven hold. This is where I learned to use my sword. After spending a while there practicing, I felt that I had progressed as far as I could without facing someone in actual combat. So, I set out to make my way in the world. I eventually came to Saltmarsh. Next thing you know- uh-oh!

Dex roll (12): [5d6] = 13

[coil23]

Doubtful whispers, watch the ceiling, everyone, and don't touch anything as we go. And then the click is heard. Doubtful has been trying to scan the ceiling, walls, and floor for danger.

[Mant72]

Keilif:

The sea priest proceeds along the corridor, trying to remain vigilant.

Dexterity Check (11) - Very Hard: [5d6] = 18

[wolfpack]

[5d6] = 11

[OGRE MAGE]

By the time the group realizes what has just happened, a heavy hooked fishing net drops from the low ceiling. The net entraps Umrick, Jervis, and Keilif, knocking them to the floor as they struggle to escape the stinking strands.

With a little help from the others, it isn't too hard to free them again and the search is quickly resumed. A little further down the tunnel you come to a three way intersection. The stink seems to be worse coming from the south passage.

There is a loaded heavy crossbow leaning up against the wall near the center of the intersection.

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