The Unseen Servant forums

Jernau35 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 3:36 am The Knife
"Why don't we tie that torch to a long branch or piece of bamboo? We can stick it 10 feet further or so into the hole and get a better idea of what is back there".

Keg nods at that idea and without further preamble takes his ax and hacks down the nearest piece of bamboo and jams a torch into one end of it. He holds it forward. Wait for Luther so we don't torch his arse. he chuckles.

Black Cave Hole
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

Unafraid to stick a torch into the dark opening, TK suggests they rig up an extended reach light source, which Keg quickly obliges.

Once Luther exits the space, TK moves in, slipping the flame through the tight hole. He still cant tell what lies in the larger room beyond, but he does make a discovery that confuses both of them.

The material used to "tighten" the ingress of this entryway looks nothing like the other natural rock of the cliff face. It now appears that something black and smooth was used to alter this otherwise natural cave entrance, creating a tight tunnel-like space that larger creatures wouldn't be able to access. This altered tunnel of smooth rock appears to be about 10 feet long, with the chamber beyond opening into a much larger area. The gnome can see no other light, hear no sounds, and detects no smells whatsoever coming from beyond this odd obstruction.

Actions?

Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 30/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 3/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

Amun grunts and seems to be thinking for a while.

"If this house underground like the stone people carve out with hammers, this be smoke hole, Amun seen before. If so there be other way in. Stone doors. Stone people fierce fighters, slay trolls."

She makes a swing in the air and a noice, possibly a dwarf smashing the head of a troll?

She looks around at the nearby environment.

"Also masters of traps."

The Knife

"Ah. Traps. Yes," mutters The Knife, sheepishly. "Exactly what I was about to start searching for". He pulls out various tools and starts poking around.

Luther
Luther scrapes at the black material with the tip of his blade. Is it stone? Or something organic?

Wake

Since the area up front is limited and his torch has moved forward Wake takes back out his shield and watches for a rear attack.

Black Cave Hole
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

While Wake and Keg stand guard, TK spends some time searching the tube for traps and finds.........nothing.

Amun suggests that this may be a chimney of sorts, but she finds no soot or any other residue along the smooth black rock.

Luther scrapes at the material, finding it to be just as hard as the natural rock it covers. The more he looks it over, the more evidence he finds of this anomaly being manmade. The coating is uneven in spots, reminding him of frosting spread over some delicious dark chocolate cake. (It has been a while since the bear man has had anything sweet to eat.)

Poking a head through the opposite end of the tighter tunnel, a large round chamber is found beyond. The stone floor is littered with dried husks and other detritus. The chamber appears round, but the back wall and the ceiling remains in darkness as the torchlight doesn't quite fully penetrate its terminus.

Actions? Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 30/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 3/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

Luther
Luther growls. Watch your ass, little man. This is a prime setup for an ambush. Whatever this stuff on the walls is, somebody put it here. The only reason I can see is to make it hard to get in there.

The Knife

Seeing the black stuff unevenly spread all around sparks a nasty thought in The Knife's head. "This stuff...smeared across the rock...it's come out of a creature. Like webs come out of a spider," he says quietly. "And those husks over there. Look. Something's living in here. This is a bad place." He shivers.

With no retreat behind him, The Knife moves ever so slightly to his left, hugging the wall. Just far enough to let Luther in behind him. Hopefully as fast as Luther can move.

Amun crawls in third, struggling to get her giant sword through without impailing anybody.

Wake

Wake will make his way (crawling) in fourth.

Black Cave Hole
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

Absolutely certain that something large and very dangerous lives in this hole, TK crawls inside, leaving only enough room for those behind him to barely enter as well. His friends are not quite as skittish of.....well......everything, so they crawl through the tight tunnel and enter the silent chamber beyond.

By the light of their single torch, the group finds a round void in the rock cliff wall that looks anything but natural. Though they still cant see the ceiling above, which rises up beyond their light source, they can now see the entire inner chamber. Besides the husks and other debris scattered about the place, there is a large, flat topped, round rock in the center of the room that rises up above the floor about 12 inches. There appear to be words carved into the surface of the rock, but none in the group can read what they say. Wake looks them over but believes the phrases to be written in an arcane language that he doesn't understand.

The only other feature they spot besides the raised ceiling and the central rock is a wide stone platform about 10 feet by 15 feet in size at the very back of the chamber. This stone stage of sorts only rises above the dirt floor about 4 inches. The top is littered with similar dried husks of long dead jungle creatures similar to the ones scattered around the floor, but there is no writing to be seen from their position near the cave opening.

Actions? Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 30/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8 (Torch?)
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 3/3 first
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

The Knife

The Knife stays next to the entrance. "This is too...odd" he whispers. "This black stuff is everywhere. We can't see what's up there. And there's dead things all over the floor."

"I'm telling you, something is up there. It has some kind of way to turn this black stuff into a trap. Like glue. Then it drops down and attacks when you are stuck."

Any remains you can see from your position appear to be normal jungle animals.

None of the dried husks of former critters look too large to have crawled through the tunnel, just as you did.

As far as their "willingness" to do so, who can really say?

Amun

"Hrrrrmmmm...but then bones should be stuck in the black? No, Amun think this sacrificial chamber. Does not matter, it reeks of magic, we should leave. Cannot trust magic."

She kicks a bone across the chamber, expecting some kind of echo, like a large cave.

Wake

Wake will cast a Detect Magic spell and look around the room to see if there is any magic within this space starting with the side with the words.

Black Cave Hole
Starday, 27th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Overcast, Warm, Buggy

TK stays put near the modified tunnel, just waiting for something horrible to drop down upon them from the darkness above.

Amun steps in a bit further, nervous of this place since it reeks of magic. She kicks a nearby bone deeper into the chamber, not hearing the echo she was expecting. TK grimaces, but the commotion doesn't draw anything from the darkness......yet.

Luther and Keg aren't sure what to make of it all, remaining as still and silent as a sinner in church and adding no guesses to their current predicament.

The wise priest Wake knows what must be done. He quietly intones a prayer that will allow him to detect any magical auras in the vicinity. As he looks around the chamber with his enhanced vision, he sees a small light glow on the floor near the large slab of stone at the back of the chamber coming from under a pile of detritus. The ancient writing on the round stone also glows as magical, though the words remain incomprehensible. The acolyte of Phyton also detects something under the large slab of stone, but the material must be too thick to get an accurate reading on size or intensity.

Actions? Keg (F3) AC:1 23/23
Luther (R4) AC:3 30/30
The Knife (T2) AC:4* 8/8 (Torch?)
Wake (C1) AC:3 10/10 2/3 first DM:10
Amun (F1) AC:2 13/13

Luther
Luther lifts the torch on its pole, intending to light the upper areas of this cave. We're lucky those piercers didn't set up housekeeping here.

Wake

"Luther after you check the roof, could you please bring that torch over here so I can have some light?"

Wake will put away his weapon and use his hand axe clear some of the debris looking at the side magical spot (on the side of the "stage"). He is also looking for evidence that the slab has scrapped along the floor because of being dragged or moved.