Expedition to the Barrier Peaks - Chapter One

[ChubbyPixie]

Brother Puddington, Cleric of Ulaa

Guido, ClericThis really isn't my area of expertise, Guido notes aloud to Brother Puddington, smiling slightly in an attempt to ward off the feeling of uselessness in the situation. I'll keep watch for the moment.

Brother Puddington snaps to, having been distracted gazing at the awesome scale of the metal embedded in the rock. Sights like these, of which he has had, well, none to date, really, remind him why he chose to follow in the service of Ulaa, may her pebbles tumble eternally, in the first place. "Oh! I, ah, suppose this is my area of expertise, in a manner of speaking. Though my knowledge is perhaps 'cough!'... excuse me, a trifle more metaphysical and a trifle less practical than that of our Dwarven friend." he gestures in Groyn's direction. "I could determine if the door is held magically closed. Or if it is trapped in any way, if you think that would help."

[ChubbyPixie]

Wrenly the Brown, Magician

Wrenly stands with hands on hips, tapping his foot in irritation at not having studied his Levitate incantation today, which would have made reaching that upper doorway a cinch. As it was, he supposed he'd have to do it the hard way. If only there were a spell for opening doors, he thought to himself. He supposed there was, somewhere out there, waiting to be discovered. And possibly beyond his comprehension...the loss of the wind spell still rankled. Ah well. "I could try to Magic Missile it down." he says a bit petulantly.

[Zhym]

Andover, having found nothing of interest near the huge door (I presume), rejoins his men. "Keep an eye open," he says. "We don't want anything jumping out as while everyone is fiddling with the doors."

[Pulpatoon]

The Ravenous Gryev, squinting up at Fingal: "What's the lil' feller doin' up there?"
He begins to climb up to the smaller door, too.

Climb 90%: [1d100] = 54

[Hotgoblin]

Groyn Shortbeard, fighter

Groyn is slightly unnerved by the surroundings, but doesn't like the idea of Fingsl going in by himself....Fings, what's going on up theres?? You don't see any of them darn gnolls?? Grumbling to himself...Skulking thugs, ain't never liked their kind. He keeps pacing below.

[Grognardsw]

Four hundred feet up the top Barrier Peak is a cold and windy place. The clouds seem close, moving across the sky in lazy fashion. Fingal looks down at his ant-sized companions, but not too long for such distance is disconcerting. It looks like one of them is climbing up too. Who could that be? He thought he was the only thief in the party.

Fingal turns to the matter at hand: securing the rope. There is a tree 60' down (see earlier picture, but that's not close enough. He doesn't have iron spikes. So Fingal slinks through the partially open door into a chamber with metal floor and walls. His boots clink. There is a closed doorway 25' opposite. The wall nearest him to the right has metal handles of some sort. Fingal ties the rope, yanls and pulls. It seems secure.

Meanwhile at the bottom, Andover the ranger and others search and probe and talk but find nothing. The retinue of soldiers take up guard formations near the door and watch vigilently, per Andover's orders.

[saalaria]

Swilbosh grabs the free end of the rope and gives it a few tugs.

"Ssssooo, whosssse firssst?"

[Pulpatoon]

Seeing the tiny dot that is Fingal disappear into the opening, Porphyry answers Swilbosh: "I'd rather let them poke around a bit before following them up there. We don't know if that is a practical or safe entry into... whatever this place is."

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal the Lone Thief secures the rope and exits the strange metal room. He calls down to his companions and hopes they can actually hear him from this distance.

The ropes good and tight! Come on up unless you want me to go back inside to try to find an easier way for you to get in!

The fat dwarf is gonna love it up here. Everything is made from metal!

He sits back and rests his tired arms and legs after such a grueling climb.

[greyarea]

Asherrion ignores the goat-man and goes first up the rope.

[greyarea]

Getafix says,I agree, Porphyry. Let's let them figure out what is up there before risking our necks. Let's investigate this are further, and does do.

[Zhym]

"Safe?" echoes Andover in answer to Porphyry. "If you wanted safe, you signed up for the wrong expedition, friend. I see a usable entrance up there and a door we can't open here. No point standing around wishing for dragon-riding princes or princesses to carry us away to be their lovers—or waiting for another way in, which is about the same difference."

He steps back to his men. "I'm heading up that rope right after anyone else who will. While I'm in that fortress, your job is to protect the horses and gear. Don't put yourselves in danger trying to protect anyone who hangs out down here waiting on doors or dragon-riding princesses. We've seen what the foul things that come out of this fortress can do. Stay hidden and fight only if you must." The ranger takes a long look at the entrance high above him. "I do not know how long we will be in there. If none of us return or send word within a week, ride back to the Baron and tell him that our mission has failed."

Orders given, Andover helps anyone up the rope who needs help, then follows them.

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry sighs in theatrical exasperation. "Fiiiine. But if that proves to be latrine chute, you can pay the laundress' bill."

The satyr toys with his spider-ring, and considers putting it one and scuttling up the side of the mountain, but decides to save its charge for later. He assures himself it is at the ready, however, in case anything goes wrong with that rope.

The Ravenous Gryev will, if he can, secure the rope in additional spots over the course of its 400 feet of length, as he climbs.

Reaching Fingal, he grins a wide, unpleasant grin, showing his worn-down tooth-nubs and too much gum. "A good climb, huhr?" Looking at the door, his grin slips. "Fah. Too much metal. Too much...ahhr... whuddaya call it? Stuff that's not like stuff I've seen before?"

[tkrexx]

Guido, Cleric

The tubby Priest can be seen wringing his hands and whispering comforting words to himself as he watches others make the climb 400 feet above his current position. He turns to Brother Puddington, his voice trembling. If you fall, I'll heal you; if I fall, you heal me. Deal? He'll wait his turn and make his first attempt at climbing a rope. Zombies, I was ready for. Skeletons, I was ready for. Orcs, I was ready for. No one told me I'd be climbing a rope blowing in the wind.

[Grognardsw]

"The hope is wood and right!" the adventurers barely hear Fingal yell, his voice getting lost in the wind. He seems to be motioning them to come up and Asherrion starts the climbing procession.



The more portly adventurers wait until they can be tied and then half-climb half-pulled up. In all it takes almost an hour. The party arrives to see Gryev the barbarian waiting there with Fingal. The adventurers squeeze through the partially open door, which opens in a sliding fashion.

Beyond the door is a dark room. Someone lights a torch to reveal a metal room, about 18' deep and 20' wide, with a 20' wide north door and a curving south wall (which has the door entered by.) At that moment, the door to outside silently shuts, and the inner north door parts to reveal a large, square 50' by 50' area with 20' wide hallways in the north, east and west walls. There is a door to the left and right of the now-open door through which you entered. (See map.) There are no lights; the torchlight reflects of metal walls and floors and a strange hard substance that is not metal. Details from your current position at the doorway cannot be made out. It is eerily quiet. The smell is strange, neither dungeon nor castle-like, but something else, stale and odd.

The most intriguing feature of the room is:

One square = 10', C = chute/shaft

[greyarea]

Asherrion looks down the chute, carefully.

[greyarea]

Getafix looks longingly at the green world he's leaving and then enters the metal room.

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry gestures for everyone to be quiet in the hushed room, even though it is his own cloven feet that are making a minor racket against the hard interior surfaces. He proceeds to investigate the debris on the floor.

The Ravenous Gryev stalks the perimeter of the room, looking down any open corridors. He inhales deeply, trying to pick up any recognizable scents.

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal gets to work doing what he does.

He moves around the metal walls, tapping and scrutinizing, looking for any secrets that this strange room is hiding.

Looks like business as usual in this bizarre fortress. Usual fer this group anyway.

He checks for any secret doors or compartments in the walls and floor.

[Zhym]

Angus does what rangers do, even when the floor is metal. He looks for tracks.

Hey, maybe there's dust.