Chapter 1: So it begins.

[alver]

Ingvar quickly becomes interested after seeing what happened to the steel bar. "It is a blade that cuts iron! I have never heard of such a thing. If the sword was whole this would be a treasure fit for a king."

Did Sheamus manage to extract the blade using the bar?

[Rex]

Yes Sheamus now has the blade separate from the anvil.

Actions?

[GreyWolfVT]

Sheamus "Alright I got the blade out now what? Things so darned sharp it cuts metal and it'd has no sheath or hilt."

[alver]

"Yes, I would not want to put that in my pocket," agrees Ingvar. He takes two flat pieces from the pile of wood and places the blade between them. He then ties the bunch together with string. He hands it back to Sheamus. "Here you go."

"Rodbert, I think you should go up first. You have the light. We will follow too as we do not want to sit here in darkness, I think."

[GreyWolfVT]

Sheamus accepts the bundled blade and prepares to follow the others. "Thanks. Hope this holds until we can find a smithy."

[VonAlric]

Watching the sword getting wrapped up, a thought strikes Rodbert. "If someone put that sword into the anvil, it stands that they, somehow, broke the hilt off. It may still be around here. Maybe above us, maybe in the water that we came through. It may bear looking for."

He half listens to Ingvar's last words. "Hmm? Oh, yes, right. I'll go up.... wait, what?" A perplexed look crosses his face. His comrades can infer from that look that this was not the suggestion he had expected. A shrug and a nod. "Okay, I'll head up. After I make sure everything is okay, I'll lie down on the floor and stick the javelin down as far as I can to help guide you back up. While you are down here in the dark, maybe something in here will glow so make note of where it was. Hand me the javelin after I start up."

Rodbert begins the climb, waits for the javelin, then makes his way up cautiously. When he reaches the top, he will just get his head up enough to make a quick look to make sure it is safe before coming all the way out, noting the floor. Once up, he will turn around and do as proposed then call to his comrades.

[Rex]

Rodbert climbs about 30 feet up and encounters a rotten wood trap door. Pushing on it he realizes it is going to fall apart easily. He then forces his way into another room above. Rodbert climbs into the room and true to his word lays flat and lowers his spear for light. Sheamus and Ingvar make the climb and they find a small room, perhaps 10 foot by 12 foot with 2 doors and the trap door.

Main items of note.
1, Sealed Oak barrel.
2, Open Oak barrel full of some very dry beans and insect husks.
3, Metal table and chair, rusted
On the table is a stack of thin plates made of tin bound into a ring binder. They have runes on the top plate and show no signs of corrosion.
On the table is also another stack of tin plates, not bound, they appear blank and are heavily corroded.
4, A wooden bookshelf that has collapsed, with a pile of what was once most likely books in front of it.
The once books are beyond use and crumble to dust when handled.
There are 2 intact books, one is leather and appears to have some sort of Elven script on it and the other is metal and covered in runes.
5, unlocked metal chest
6, a second unlocked metal chest

[VonAlric]

Rodbert struggles to keep his hands off of the books. "Not yet, not yet, find the exit then get the reward" he mutters. He brushes himself off as he speaks to the others. "K'nor's Beard! It looks like there is some magic here in this place. Those books are rather interesting and I want to inspect them but not here unless we find the way out. I would exercise caution if we decide to open those chests. Granted, that missing hilt could be in there."

"I think we are now close to being at ground level after coming up that ladder. So, let's see which door we should take..." He will examine the floor by the two doors and see if there is any sign of airflow that would indicate a draft (which hopefully leads outside).

[Rex]

No sign of any air flow, everything is dust covered. Both doors are covered in dried tar, and in better shape than the trapdoor, but not good shape. The door facing east is barred on your side of the door and the door facing south is barred on the other side and will be more difficult to open.

[GreyWolfVT]

Sheamus scoffs at the mention of books clearly not the type to read. He searches hoping something more useful in his mind is in the ruins aside from magic books like perhaps a sword hilt.

[Rex]

Is Sheamus going to open the chests? They don't have locks.

[GreyWolfVT]

Is Sheamus going to open the chests? They don't have locks.

Yes he will.

[VonAlric]

"So, no help from the dust, no disturbances. Best to go through the door that is easiest to open first rather than break a door down. We could use the bar to help keep the door propped open. Agreed?" Rodbert turns around, sees Sheamus going for the chest and moves to a far side of the small room if possible.

[Rex]

1, sealed oak barrel is about 1/4 full of some dried up substance that has a faint smell of garlic.
5, metal chest contains shreds of cloth, flint, and rope, rusty springs and tools.
6, metal chest contains shreds of very old clothing and what looks like a dagger sealed in beeswax.

[Rex]

Rodbert opens the door going east and finds a hallway about 8 feet long that ends where it appears the entire hallway collapsed.

[Rex]

Rodbert thinks he is nearly out of time on his light spell (and also Resist Cold).

[GreyWolfVT]

Sheamus grabs the dagger by it's hilt and leaves the other items begind. He puts the dagger in his pack. Then watches Rodbert.

[VonAlric]

"I'm not certain of when, but I think we are running out of time on the magics we used. I can cast light again but going through that water will be tough if we have to do it. Let me look down this hallway." If the floor still looks solid, Rodbert will go inspect the collapsed area to see if there is any possible exit or way to dig up and out. If the floor is shaky looking, he will shake his head and close the door. He will turn to the other door and see about breaking it down since it is barred on the other side.

[Rex]

The floor is sound. Maybe you could dig it out but you have no idea how far or how long it would take. Sheamus and Ingvar are easily able to bust the door down. Behind it is a small dusty dimly lit room. The light appears to be coming from the right eye of a Dwarf skeleton laying on a collapsed bed. It is covered in shreds of clothing and bedding.

[alver]

Ingvar

"So this is where the story ends."

He looks the bed and bones over quickly to see if the hilt is there. Throwing the hilt under one's bed is in a fit of anger, for example, is something he could imagine. He does not actually search among the bones or touch the skull.